Basically More Morganders stories
by enjoyingtheread
Summary: I've been enjoying everyone else's Morganders stories. Thought I'd try my hand some. I'd stopped watching CSI before Morgan came on and just caught the finale movie. While watching the movie, I couldn't figure out if Greg and Morgan were supposed to be together and it was general knowledge or not. So I started checking the next and found this website. Now I'm sucked in!
1. The Upside of Getting Old

Greg took the first swig of his ice cold beer, setting it down on the table. He was at the end of a long rectangular table, surrounded by friends and colleagues celebrating his fortieth birthday with him. NIck, Catherine, Sara, Finn, Russell and even Hodges and Henry had come out. He was just waiting for one more person to make the celebration complete. Once again, he turned his head towards the door of the bar, waiting for a certain person to come walking in.

"Relax, Greg. She's coming. She just texted me to say she was running late." Nick said, leaning towards Greg and grinning.

Mentally Greg kicked himself for being so transparent. Ignoring Nick, he turned to Catherine, sitting beside Nick. Changing the subject, he asked Catherine about her new job. Listening to Catherine's excitement about her new casino was quite interesting. However, he tried as hard as he could, but couldn't resist taking another peek at the door. As luck would have it, at that second Morgan opened the door and stepped inside. Unconsciously, Greg leaned back in his chair to get a better look at her. Morgan was wearing a low cut, fitted red sleeveless shirt, black cigarette pants and a pair of impossibly high heels. Greg swallowed hard.

Nick elbowed Catherine, who was watching Greg as well. They turned to each other and smirked.

Greg stood up to greet Morgan as she approached the table, waving at the group already assembled.

"Hey, Happy Birthday." smiled Morgan as she walked up to Greg and gave him a hug.

Greg returned the embrace. If that was his birthday present, he'd take it. They broke away as Nick spoke up. "Hey, Morgan, glad you could make it! Let me grab you a beer." He gestured for Morgan to take his spot beside Greg. She smiled and took a seat, accepting a beer Nick poured from one of the pitchers on the table.

"Sorry I'm late to the party. Are you having a good birthday so far?" Asked Morgan, turning towards Greg. For some reason, she had butterflies in her stomach. Seeing him out of work always felt a bit different. She couldn't quite place why it was different though. She subtly looked Greg over. He looked really good this evening. His navy button down shirt was neatly pressed, as usual. He had rolled up his sleeves, giving him a slightly more casual look than he usually sports at work. He'd spiked and gelled his hair, giving him a more youthful appearance.

"I am,"Replied Greg, smiling back at her.

Morgan had no idea what to say in return. Her mind had gone blank. Conversational topic ideas had vanished from her mind. She could only think of her pep talk to herself while getting ready. It was not a conversation she wanted to share with Greg, of all people. She had made a plan for this night. Wrestling over her decision to finally make Greg hers. She'd been plotting her moves for the past couple of weeks. But sitting here beside him, she was starting to lose her nerve.

After a few more sips of beer, listening to the banter around her, Morgan started to feel a bit more talkative and joined the group in reminiscing. People took turns telling stories and recounting tales of their younger years. Since Greg was the birthday boy, the majority of stories were focused on Greg's younger years as a lab rat. Morgan smiled warmly at Greg as each person took turns telling tales from Greg's first years on the job. He sounded so young, carefree and even a little immature. He certainly didn't seem to be that person anymore.

A little while later, Sara nudged Catherine and said, 'it's time for cake!" She flagged over a waitress and asked her to bring the cake. 'Before you get your cake, you should know that we decided that the theme of your birthday is 'Old Vegas', combining your love of Vegas history as well as your increasing age! Things from here on out are going to reflect Vegas and your advancing age!" Everyone laughed as the waitress placed the cake in front of Greg. It was a simple cake, decorated in flat white icing, but placed strategically around the cake were logos from casinos long gone from the strip. The Algeirs, Castaways, Desert Inn, Sands and the Hacienda among others, all had their logos represented in brilliant colours on the cake. Sitting in the middle of the cake was a solitary sparkler, flashing and sparking.

Greg's eyes widened in amazement when he got a good look at the cake placed before him. "Wow, what a cake! Where did you get it?" He asked, turning to Sara.

"Ask Morgan, she ordered it. I just picked it up on the way here." she replied.

Greg turned towards Morgan. "This is really nice," he smiled. "Thank you."

Morgan looked down at the table, suddenly feeling a bit shy. "I know a place." she said simply, reaching for her beer.

Once the cake had been served up, Nick announced they'd gotten Greg some gifts, all fitting the "Old Vegas' theme in some way.  
Catherine, Sara and Finn all went in on a vintage leather Jacket that had reportedly been worn by a mobster. Greg tried it on and it fit perfectly. He modeled it the ladies before sitting back down and opening the small envelope from Nick. Taking a small, debit sized card out of the envelope, Greg read the writing on the card. To the group, he announced, somewhat quizzically, "It's a season pass to Red Rock Canyon." he took a look at Nick questioningly.

"Red Rock canyon is very, very old Vegas. Can't get any older. Sam and I go there all the time to get some peace and quiet." Said Nick, referring to his dog. "It's a great place to take the ladies. Great date opportunity. Perhaps you can actually use it once before it expires!" there were chuckles from the group.

"It is a nice place to go hiking. Great for seeing the meteor showers in the summer too." Agreed Catherine.

"You just have to try to forget about the odd crime scene you've processed out there." Suggested Sara.

"I've never been." said Morgan. "Not even for a crime scene."

"I guess you have your first date then, Greg!" Smiled Nick. He couldn't have asked for a better opening to give the two a little push towards each other. He sat back, feeling quite smug.

"As long as there are no dead bodies, I'd be happy to see Red Rock canyon." said Morgan boldly. Greg looked over and smiled before he dropped his eyes, embarrassed. "Here, my gift next!" Morgan reached down under her chair and pulled out a small bag.

Again, Greg smiled gratefully at Morgan for getting them out of an awkward situation. Taking the small red bag from her, he set it in front of him. He couldn't read Morgan really well. She was a bit of a mystery to him. He accepted the fact that she must know he had feelings for her, but he was never sure if she felt the same way. She kept her feelings to herself and the rare times she said something that may have hinted at wanting more, he just couldn't be sure enough to make a move.

Looking down at the gift, he truly had no clue what present she may have come up with. Pulling the tissue paper out of the bag, he unwrapped a small cylinder. Upon closer inspection, it was an old silver lighter. There were some rust spots along the bottom of the lighter, and some of the plastic outer lining was starting to flake off. Flipping it over, he noticed the logo, "El Rancho." His eybrows shot upward in surprise. The El Racho was the casino that started Las Vegas on its path to what it was like today. It was the first casino on what would eventually be known as the strip. Astonished, he looked at Morgan. "Where on earth did you get this? This is a very rare piece of Vegas memorabilia. How on earth did you find it?" He looked back at the lighter, flipping the top up and down. He looked back at her and smiled. "I love it."

Morgan Smiled. "I knew that Police were discharging some old evidence storage a few weeks ago, so I volunteered my time to see if any of the evidence would be related to Old Vegas. I pulled a few strings and this didn't make the police auction list." Around the table, eyebrows raised. Every person around the table knew it wasn't that easy to just get something that was being discharged from old cases.

Nick smiled again. Maybe 40 would be lucky for Greg.

After the last present had been opened, the "old" jokes started coming, despite everyone but Morgan being older than Greg. At first Greg laughed along with them, but some of the jokes started making him feeling a little down. He looked down at his beer and took another sip. He had a great job, spent quite a lot of time there, but maybe it was because he felt a little lonely at home.

Pretty soon Henry and Hodges moved over to the claw machine, continuing their argument from the table,. They had started arguing about the physical capabilities of the machine in relation to the stuffed unicorn in the middle of the machine. Finn had moved to the bar to get a drink and was flirting heavily with the bartender. Russell had said his goodbye and best wishes to Greg and headed home to his wife.

"Must be nice to have someone to come home to." Thought Greg. He was still feeling a bit bummed over the recent jokes about his age. For some reason, turning 40 was starting to get to him. He needed to get a bit of air. He stood up and excused himself quietly. The rest of the table were in a heated debate over an old case and he didn't think anyone even heard him.

Morgan turned to look at Greg, noticing he didn't head to the bathroom, but to the door outside. She debated with herself whether or not she should follow him, or give him a few minutes to himself. She'd noticed he had gone quiet when the 40 jokes started. Before she could talk herself out of it, she headed for the door.

Once outside, Morgan stepped into the parking lot, scanning it for Greg. She found him sitting on the bumper of his SUV, arms resting beside him. He hadn't noticed her yet. Taking a deep breath, not confident she could make him feel better, she went over.

He heard Morgan approach and looked up to meet her eyes. He could see her concern and he didn't want to bring her down at a party. Without speaking, she moved to sit beside him and leaned against the car. They didn't speak for a few seconds, letting the sounds of the night fill the silence. Morgan made the first move. She lifted her hand and placed it over his hand, squeezing it slightly. "You okay?" she asked, looking up at him.

He turned and smiled down at her. Just seeing those beautiful blue eyes cheered him up slightly. "I'm sorry for being a bit of a downer. I guess turning 40 has kind of bothered me a little more than I thought it would have." He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to look at the cars parked in front of him. Morgan didn't say anything, letting him continue. "You know, I love my job and being a CSI is so rewarding, but I guess thought I'd have more in my life by the time I hit 40. You know , some sort of personal life. When I was in my 20's, If you'd have asked me, I'm sure I would have said I'd be married and have a couple of kids. But now that I am 40, is there a male equivalent to a 'crazy cat lady'?"

Morgan looked up and smiled at him. "Hey, I'm in a similar boat . Men like you get better looking with age, and I'm closing in on being too old to have kids. I only have a few years left before needing help." She paused for a second to collect her thoughts. But I know what you mean, about your age being something that defines who you should be, not who you are." Unconsciously, she put her arms around herself. The night was cooler than she expected, which left her shivering in her sleeveless shirt in the cool night.

Greg noticed her actions. "If I had a jacket, I'd give it to you. But can I do this?" Reluctantly he moved his hand from under hers. Reaching around Morgan's shoulders, he put his arm around her, rubbing her upper arm. It felt so good, and Morgan made no move to break away, in fact, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder. Greg's heart started to beat a bit quicker. They sat there in silence for a minute, before Morgan continued their conversation.

"All of our lives, an arbitrary age has defined what we can and cannot do. At age 16, we can get a driver's licence. At age 18 we can vote. At age 21, we can drink. And then all of a sudden, age isn't arbitrary anymore, but there are still social conventions that we need to conform to." Taking a deep breath, Morgan decided to go for it. "There is a guy I've been interested in for a little while." She felt Greg stiffen slightly at the mention of another guy. She stood up somewhat reluctantly, but she wanted to get closer to Greg. She moved to stand and face him, then bravely, she reached for his hands to hold in hers.  
Greg held his breath, hoping she'd continue. Could this mystery guy be him? Looking down at her hands resting in Greg's, she continued "There are many reasons why I hadn't made a move. But to be honest, I've hesitated a bit due to an age gap that was slightly bigger than what i'd usually go with. I've tried to ignore these feelings, but he just makes me feel so... good." Morgan said, looking up at his face, smiling.

Greg's eyes were boring holes into her skull, waiting for confirmation that she was speaking about him. He didn't even want to breathe until it was confirmed. Morgan moved closer yet again. Her face was now inches from his. "I realized recently that I've wasted 2 years thinking about this guy, when I could have been dating this man and maybe if I hadn't ignored this... this..." Morgan searched for the right words, but didn't need to. She saw Greg smile and bring his hand to her face, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear before leaning in to kiss her. Morgan sighed as his lips met hers. She closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss. Greg wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer, not quite believing his good fortune. The kiss intensified.

Just then Nick came out the doors of the bar. Nobody had seen Greg in a little while and he wanted to check on him. He wasn't in the washroom and wasn't with the girls. Sara mentioned she'd seen Morgan go out the front door, so Nick decided to see if she'd found Greg first. He walked into the parking lot and looked to his right. Morgan had found Greg alright. He chuckled to himself. The two were locked in quite a passionate kiss. Neither of them were aware of their surroundings as they continued to kiss.

Nick started to feel uncomfortable, watching the two. "If Greg was feeling down before, he sure isn't now." Nick though to himself as he turned to walk back in the bar. "Happy birthday, buddy."

Out in the parking lot, Greg and Morgan pulled away from each other, and smiled. "Happy Birthday" said Morgan softly.

"I would have turned 40 years ago if that meant, I would get you."


	2. Goodbye and Hello

Morgan pulled into Greg's driveway and shut off the car. She looked left and then right over each shoulder, but she didn't see Nick's car, or any cars she recognized. "Great," she thought without enthusiasm, "I'm the first one here." She debated with herself how long she could stay in her car without Greg noticing through his front window. As much as she wanted to go in and see Greg, she was tired of the elephant in the room.

She and Greg had become so much closer lately, but it only translated into a close friendship. Inside Morgan was extremely frustrated. Whenever she was around Greg, her body practically cried out in frustration. There were only so many breakfasts, movie nights and new bars to check out with him. It seemed like they had friend zoned each other. Sometimes she was sure Greg had feelings for her, other times, he acted like a good friend and nothing more. Now, it seemed like it was too late for either one to say anything. So they just hung out together, trying to ignore whatever was or should be going on between the two of them. It had been happening more and more lately. Morgan sighed. At night she had lain awake, trying to come up with the right words to ask Greg if he saw her in more than a platonic light. During the day, she couldn't make herself say the words. Working together made things so much more awkward. She knew that soon she couldn't take it any more and would start declining invites to go out with him, causing an irreparable rift in their friendship, leading to an awkward and uncomfortable work environment.

All of this had started a few months ago. Greg and Morgan had been called to investigate a suspicious death of an elderly man. He had been found face down in his living room, a single wound to his head. It seemed like the old man had simply fallen, hitting his head on a nearby coffee table on the way down. He had then succumbed to to his injuries. But there had been a rash of robberies in the area recently. Homicide had to be ruled out to ensure the robber was not escalating.

At the scene, Officer Mitchell greeted them with the only details he was able to provide. "Deceased Male; Robert Andrews, 77 years old. He has no kids, has never been married and the only next of kin we could find was a telephone number to his place of employment. We're working on getting in touch with someone now."

"Who found him?" Asked Greg.

"He got his prescription pills delivered to his house every two weeks. The pharmacy delivery man said that Mr. Andrews always answered the door and they had a nice little chat for about ten minutes. The deliveryman went to drop off the pills as usual this morning. He knew something wasn't right and asked for police to perform a welfare check." Officer Mitchell looked at Morgan with sad eyes. "I don't know if we are dealing with a recluse or someone who was ill and just didn't get out much. I'll keep looking for more information." He wandered off back to his patrol car as Greg and Morgan entered the house.

The duo said hello to David, who was just finishing up with the body. After the preliminar and perimeter examination, the two met back in the living room to hear what Officer Mitchell had discovered about Mr. Andrews.

"Mr Andrews was a corporate banker who had retired about a year ago. According to the administrative assistant who called me back, he was basically married to his work" Officer Mitchell looked around. "Judging from the amount of Economic and Banking magazines around the house, it seems like he was still working. The secretary said he still came in on occasion to say hello to everyone."

With that news, Greg and Morgan continued to process the scene. In the end, finding nothing to indicate a crime had taken place. The evidence pointed to the man tripping over one of his slippers and hitting his head on the coffee table when he fell.

As Greg and Morgan loaded the evidence in the Denali, they were both lost in their own thoughts. The ride back to headquarters stared out quietly. Morgan broke the silence first.

"That poor man," she mused quietly. "There are no friends or family to grieve him, just some people from work. He gave his entire life to his company."

"You know," said Greg quietly. "Sometimes I feel I'm heading in that direction. Do you know how much overtime I've pulled in lately, just because they asked? I had nothing else to do. It's more pleasant than rattling around by myself in my house. I am beginning to see how this guy maybe didn't set out to be a workaholic. The lonelier you get, the more you work and before you know it. life's over."

"I've been thinking about getting a cat." Replied Morgan, looking at Greg. "It would be nice to have someone greet me at home. I only moved here a few years ago. I came here at an age where people my age are having kids and are not looking to make new friends or don't have the time to put into a friendship right now." She paused, looking over at Greg. " What happened to your friends? I've heard you were quite the party animal in your younger years." She gave Greg a flirty smirk.

Greg sighed. Lately, he had been thinking a lot about his friends. "I think it was a combination of a few things. Most of my friends grew up, got married and had babies. They're family men and go on vacations with their wives and kids now. No more backpacking trips to exotic locations with me. Also, after a run of really, really bad luck with woman, it kind of made me a little more hesitant to get out there. My judgement has been slipping as of late. I had that date with a woman I thought was a teacher and she ended up being a serial killer. Then I had something nice with Alison and she was killed coming back to see me." Greg kept his eyes on the road, trying not to let Morgan see the vulnerability lurking beneath the surface.

Morgan felt bad for bringing up those memories. Greg was a great guy who didn't deserve what had happened to him. It wasn't his fault he was targeted by that woman. As for Alison, while it had only been a fling, it had the potential to become more. The"what if" must be haunting him.

Morgan picked at the hem of her t-shirt as she spoke. "Well, what can we do so that we don't end up like Mr. Andrew? I'd love to get out more, but it is just as lonely going to the movies alone as it is staying at home. After you've seen the movie, there's still nobody with you to talk to about the movie or ask you if you liked it."

Greg looked over at Morgan, nodding his head. This is your chance to offer to take Morgan out, away from work. He thought to himself. Go for it. Greg took a deep breath and said, "So both of us just rattle around in our own houses, afraid to go out solo. Lets try to get out together sometime. It doesn't have to be anything big. Just try to get out of our houses and do something social." He tried not to hold his breath, waiting for a response.

"There is this new brunch restaurant that opened up a little while ago." Morgan mused. "I really want to try it out. I 'd suggested it once when a few of us went out after shift a couple of weeks ago, but I got outvoted for the diner. Do you want to go there today after shift?" She had butterflies in her stomach as she said it. It's one thing to vaguely suggest something and it's another thing to actually follow through. Did Greg want to follow through with spending more time with her?

Wow, spending time with Morgan was as easy as that? Greg thought inwardly. "Sure." He replied easily. "I can eat anywhere."

And that's how it started. Morgan and Greg would go out for the occasional breakfast after shift. They'd even taken in a movie once. Finn and Nick accompanied the two of them to a new Barbecue restaurant on a Saturday night and even Sara joined the two of them at Greg's one night for a forensics documentary. But, mostly, it was the two of them. The duo would go out for breakfast once a week while also making plans to see each other once on the weekend. Greg was very happy with their arrangement. Heck, he was just happy to get to spend time with Morgan. In theory, he'd like it to be more. However, her father, the Sheriff of Las Vegas may not be as agreeable. While Ecklie had mellowed somewhat in his later years, he was still a foreboding man. Another issue was that he never quite knew where he stood with the beautiful CSI. Sure they'd flirted, and sometimes he though that she was telling him that she wanted more. But without being sure, he just couldn't make himself to make any sort of romantic overture. So he was happy to be her companion and maybe something would happen between the two. However, if his late night thoughts were any indication of his real desires, he really, really wanted something more with her.

Back in the driveway of Greg's house,Morgan sighed again, glancing over to the passenger side of the car. The cheesecake she'd made to celebrate Nick's move to San Diego was starting to show signs of getting warm. She'd spent the better part of the morning working on it, including decorating it with dollops of chocolate ganache and chocolate chips. "It's just Greg." She said aloud as she made a motion to grab her cheesecake.

She walked slowly to the door and gave a quick rap on the door. Greg answered the door almost immediately after she knocked. He took in the sight of her casually dressed in a low cut red tank top, the sexiness offset by a pair of black Bermuda shorts and flat black sandals. She looked amazing, but she looked fabulous no matter what she wore. He greeted her with a smile that made her weak in the knees. She gave him a weak smile back.

"I brought the cheesecake."She said feebly, raising her arms, showing him the cheesecake.

"Wow, Morgan. That looks really great. Did you make this yourself?" Greg raised his eyebrows as he opened the door to invite her in.

"Yeah." She said, modestly. "I enjoy baking, but baking for one is not that fun."

"Well, I have to confess, I didn't do much by hand for Nick's going away party. I worked late this morning after shift, finishing up some paperwork. So basically just bought everything pre-made." He took the cheesecake from her and motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen.

"You should have texted me, I would have helped you." Morgan said sincerely.

"Thanks, but I just bought it all." Said Greg, moving towards the fridge. "Do you want a beer?"

"I'd love one, thanks." Morgan started to feel more at ease again as she leaned against Greg's kitchen island.

Greg popped the cap off and handed it to Morgan. He came over and leaned against the island beside her. "It's going to be a tough night, I think. We're all going to find it hard to say goodbye to Nick." He stared straight ahead at the stove.

Moran reached her hand to Greg's upper arm and gave his bicep a quick rub. "It will be especially tough for you and Sara."

He nodded and smiled down at Morgan.

*******  
Outside of Greg's modern one story house, Nick had just arrived. Sara and Finn had pulled up seconds later in Sara's Prius. The three piled out of the car, eager to start having some fun.

"Looks like Morgan is the first one here." Said Nick gesturing to Morgan's sporty blue sports car.

"Did she just get here, or has she been here all day?" Asked Finn, wiggling her eyebrows. "I still suspect there's something going on between the two of them."

"Nah, there's nothing going on between the two of them." Nick turned to face the two girls. "Greg would have at least mentioned he was dating someone. I was needling him a bit last week about getting back in the dating scene and he just brushed me off."

"Well, I know for sure that they've gone to see at least one movie by themselves." Sara volunteered. "Morgan mentioned that she'd seen this one movie with a friend." Sara raised her hands to do air quotes around 'with a friend.' I didn't get a chance to push it, but the look on her face made me think that it was more than a friend. Then later that night, Greg mentioned he'd seen the same movie 'with a friend'.

Finn raised her eyebrows at Sara's revelation. "I also overheard the two of them making breakfast plans after shift. Just the two of them." She emphasized the word two as she put her hands on her hips. "They're not flirting nearly as much anymore. I think they've been dating for a while now. They are just comfortable around each other."

"Okay you two." Said Nick, putting his hands on his hips. "We're all CSI's here. We should be able to find some evidence over the course of the evening that settles this."

"You have your 'I have an idea' face on." Smiled Sara. "What is your idea?"

"I'll bet you ladies 20 bucks each that there's nothing going on. If any of the three of us find evidence that Morgan and Greg are more than friends. I'll pay both of you twenty dollars. But if by the end of the night, if you two ladies don't come up with some concrete evidence, I'm forty dollars richer." Nick raised his eyebrows expectantly.

"Deal" Said Finn instantly. She held out her hand to shake Nick's. Sara laughed and shook Nick's hand as well.

"I'll look around the bathroom and see if I can find any distinctly female items there." Sara turned to Finn as the three started to make their way up the driveway.

"I'll ask some nosy questions. I'm good at that." Volunteered Finn. Nick walked a few paces in front of the ladies and placed his hand on the hood of Morgan's car.

"Engine's still warm ladies. Morgan hasn't been here long." Nick gave the two ladies an 'I told you so' look. "I think I'll be forty dollars richer for my drive to San Diego."

The party was in full swing. Doc Robbins, Russell, Hodges, and Henry had all been able to make the party. It was always a good time when the co-workers socialized outside of the office. Having been working together for so long, it felt almost like a family gathering. Typical of any gathering, multiple conversations about both the interesting and mundane were floating throughout the house.

Sara and Finn were inside, sitting on Greg's black leather couch comparing notes.

"I've been in the bathroom and took a good look around. There is nothing at all to indicate a female's touch. Not even any fancy soap." Sara shook her head. "But I know Greg has an en suite bathroom and that's where stuff would be if I had to guess. I also peeked down the hallway, but all of the doors were shut. So I didn't see any ladies clothes or stuff."

"I've seen no evidence of any of Morgan's influence around here either." She glanced around Greg's tastefully decorated apartment. The taupe walls had framed photographs of Old Las Vegas hotels and casinos. There were two large display cases flanking the large screen television facing the couch. The cases were filled with rare Las Vegas memorabilia and other mob collectibles that Greg had acquired over the years.

Just then Morgan walked over to sit with them. "I'm coming in for some girl talk." she said, sitting in the armchair next to Sara. "They guys are outside barbecuing and talking classic cars."

Finn smiled at the blond. "So, I haven't worked with you much lately. Anything new with you?"

Morgan knew Finn could be a bit of a gossip, so she carefully worded her answer away from what she knew Finn was really asking."I've actually started training for a half marathon." She said. While it was the truth, she also knew that it wasn't what Finn wanted to hear.

"I meant are you seeing anyone lately? I could have sworn I heard you making plans over the phone for a hot breakfast date a week ago." Finn leaned forward.

No wonder Finn gave Hodges a run for the Office Gossip title. Nothing sneaks past her thought Morgan. "Oh, that was just Greg. He made me a bet at a crime scene and he lost. He had to buy me breakfast." Morgan hedged. Sometimes the CSI's made silly bets at crime scenes, but would Finn buy it?

"How often have you two been going for breakfast lately? I'm not getting any invites. Is there something going on between the two of you?" Finn pushed.

Sarah gave a small chuckle. Finn was never one to tiptoe around a subject.

Morgan's eyes widened. "No. Maybe it just seems that way."

"Why aren't you dating him? He's a great guy?"

Morgan's mouth opened and closed in shock. She really didn't know how to reply to Finn's latest question. She rapidly searched for something to say. She looked at Sara's open face. She thought that Sara's history with Grissom may provide a sympathetic alibi.

"Dating someone you work with isn't the best idea. What I heard, it didn't work out between you and Grissom. I'd just hate for things to become awkward at work." In her heart, Morgan knew, sooner or later hers and Greg's interactions at work would become awkward if the current stalemate didn't change.

"You can't blame our divorce on working together." Said Sara. "In fact, maybe if we were both in the same city for longer periods of time, we wouldn't have gotten divorced. But life goes on."

Meanwhile at the barbecue, Nick was similarly interrogating Greg. He noticed Greg watching Morgan as she wandered into the house. "Like what you see?" He asked, raising his eyebrows at Greg.

Greg turned his attention back to the burgers on the barbecue. "Did you know that one of the first things she ever said to me was, 'Is Nick single'?" Greg knew where Nick was going and tried to deflect the conversation.

Nick laughed, "Come on, man. I'm leaving tomorrow morning. At least fill me in if you two are dating before I go."

Greg flipped the burgers buying himself some time. "There's nothing going on between us, and nothing has ever happened." He shrugged his shoulders. "I'd resigned myself to that fact a long time ago."

"Ah, that's tough man." Nick patted Greg on the back. "Have you ever asked her out on an actual date though?"

"Nah, I don't want it to get all weird. " Greg took a swig of his beer and turned to face Nick. "Plus the whole Sheriff's daughter thing is a bit intimidating."

Nick laughed again as he drained the last of his beer from the bottle. "Man, fifteen years ago, you would have been all over her- regardless of who her dad was. I'm going in to get another beer. Do you want me to bring you one?"

"I'm good for now." Replied Greg.

Once inside Nick found the three girls conversing about lost loves. "Hey Ladies, anyone need a cold one while I"m here?" He asked as he walked to the refrigerator.

"I'm good, but I am going to go to the washroom for a second. Excuse me." Morgan got up and walked to the bathroom. She was still feeling a little unsettled from her talk with the ladies. It was an uncomfortable enough situation for herself, but if people started playing matchmaker at work, it could get really bad.

"I'll have one!" Nodded Finn enthusiastically. She was never one to turn down alcohol. Nick watched Morgan work her way to the washroom and made a beeline for her vacant seat.

"Okay ladies, you each owe me 20 dollars. I even asked Greg directly. Nothing is going on. Did you find any evidence to contradict me?"

"I'm not quite convinced yet." Said Finn. "If the are dating in secret, they're not going to do something stupid to give it away. I still need some time. Anyway, here comes Morgan back."

The three turned to face Morgan, in time to see her sneak a peek at Greg at the Barbecue as she walked back to the couch.

It was late evening and most of the party guests had made their way home. The remaining CSI's weren't ready to call it a night yet. Greg, Morgan, Sarah, Finn and Nick sat outside on Greg's patio enjoying the warm desert night and one last drink with Nick. They had dragged the chairs in a circle on the wooden deck,

As per usual, the conversation turned towards old cases, good times and even better stories. Morgan and Finn hadn't been hired yet and both delighted in the antics of their colleagues in their younger years.

Whenever the CSI's would get together drinking, the group loved telling embarrassing stories. One of the favouite stories was Greg wearing a showgirls headdress, dancing manically in the hallway. "I hear this story often." Laughed Morgan, "I just wish there was a video of it."

"I'm not!" Replied Greg laughing along. "There were a lot of things I did in the DNA lab that I'm glad there is no record of."

"Just thank your lucky stars that Ecklie didn't choose that minute to come walking down the hall. Your career as a CSI would have never even gotten off the ground." Nick winked at Morgan. "You dad used to be a real hard ass on us. He was not particularly fond of Greg with the wild hair, rock music and just generally being a young punk."

Morgan sat up in her chair, leaning towards Nick and Greg. "I was a bit of a wild child myself. Greg and I would have probably got along just great."

Sitting across from Morgan, Sara chimed in. "You know what? I'll bet, Sheriff or not, Greg would have totally asked you out if he'd come across you back then. He was a bit of a womanizer back in the day."

"I was not!" exclaimed Greg, holding his hand up in self defense. Sarah and Nick said nothing, just looked at him.

"Okay, fine, I liked the ladies." Greg smiled and took a sip of beer.

"Would you have gone out with a wild Greg back in the day?" Asked Finn, sensing she could wrangle a little bit of Morgan's personal feelings out of her.

"You know, I was a teenager, had daddy issues and my parents were getting divorced. I would have gone for Bad Boy Greg in a heartbeat, even if was just to piss my dad off." Morgan looked over at Greg, giving him a sexy smile.

Greg returned the smile before remembering that there were three other people on the patio with Morgan.

"Yeah, bad boy Greg has been MIA for a long time now. Whatever happened to him?" inquired Nick.

"Well, I knew I had to get my act together if I wanted to stay in the field, and I guess I just grew up. It's hard to find time to date lots of ladies when you're working six or seven days a week." Greg answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"I couldn't agree more." Said Nick. "It's hard to hold a relationship down when you work in law enforcement, especially the night shift."

"Wait a minute," Said Sara, jumping into the conversation. "This is coming from someone who always seems to be dating two people at one time."

"I can find ladies to date, I just can't find one to keep. Maybe I'll have more luck in San Diego." Shrugged Nick. "Finn seems to be doing quite well for herself." He countered.

"I do just fine." Said Finn haughtily. "What about you, Morgan? I haven't seen Yeager sniffing around you lately. Did that fizzle out?"

Greg's ears perked up. Morgan had actually gone out on a date with Yeager from day shift? She certainly hadn't mentioned it to Greg. He looked over at Morgan who had just taken a swig of beer when asked the question. She coughed into the bottle, and sputtered a bit before answering.

"Yeager is not my cup of tea, never has been. He did not ask me out and I did not go on any dates with him." Really, Yeager? Thought Morgan. No wonder Greg wouldn't go near her if he thought she was dating Yeager/ While Yeager turned out to be a half decent partner when she had been forced to work with him, it was nothing near as fun as when she worked with Greg. "Besides, I really don't want to be known for dating my way through the male CSIs in our office. That really doesn't make for a strong work oriented impression." Morgan grinned to herself as she snuck a peek at the one CSI she'd be willing to break her rule for. Greg was watching her, face unreadable. Shoot, she hoped he didn't interpret what she said as a reason she wasn't dating him. "I mean you can't help who you fall in love with, but dating multiple people in your own office building is just weird. I know that some people are scared off by my dad but he just wants me to be happy and give him a grandchild." Morgan realized she was starting to babble and stopped talking suddenly.

"Well, there you go Greg!" Exclaimed Nick, jumping on the opportunity to have a little fun with the younger CSI before he left. He gestured towards Morgan. "Start dating Morgan. You can make sure Eclkie gets that grandchild and you'd be a cinch for the Assistant Lab Director Position." He wagged his eyes at Greg. Ears turning slightly red, Greg laughed along, but truthfully it would be a wonderful scenario.

Finn, who had been drinking more than the rest piped up. "I always wondered why the two of you never got together. You would be great together. Come on, tell us the truth, have you two ever hooked up?"

Without looking at each other both shook their heads.

"Kissed?" shouted Finn, punctuating the air with her pointed finger.

"Gone out on a real date?" she finished up, slinking back in her chair a little as Greg and Morgan shook their heads again. "Boo." she said, pretending to sulk. "I guess it is time to pay Nick." She and Sara both reached for their wallets.

"What are you doing? Why are you giving Nick money?" Asked Morgan, sitting straighter in her chair. She looked at Sara who was a designated driver and still sober. She knew she wasn't getting a straight answer out of a visibly drunk Finn.

"We thought you and Greg were secretly dating. Nick didn't think so. So we made a bet. Apparently we lost." Sara shrugged her shoulders as Nick walked over to gleefully take a twenty dollar bill from her outstretched hand.

Shortly after the revelation about the bet, Nick announced he really had to go if he was going to be on the road early the next day. The five of them slowly made their way through the house, into the front yard, It was then, the tears started to fall. Sara, first and then Morgan followed. When they all reached the car, everyone took turns giving Nick one last hug. Sara and Greg held on especially tightly to Nick. The three had been close for over fifteen years and they felt like they were a family was breaking apart. While Morgan didn't know Nick for as long, he'd worked with her and helped her become a better CSI. He was a good guy and things were going to be different without Nick there.

Greg, Morgan and Nick watched as Sara loaded a drunk Finn into her car and waved one last goodbye. One more tear threatened to leak from her eyes. Nick waved until the car was out of sight and then turned back to his friends. "Thanks for everything, man." He said, giving Greg one last hug. Then he turned to Morgan to hug her too. "Take care of Greg for me. He's a great guy." whispered Nick into her ear, as he gave her a rather hard squeeze. "Oh and thanks for that chocolate cheesecake. It was fabulous." He let her go and then stepped into the night, walking towards his car. He smiled at the two as he got in. Morgan felt a lump in her throat as she watched him drive away. She turned to look up at Greg, who was watching the car drive down the street. He looked so lost, it almost broke Morgan's heart. She itched to reach out and comfort him, but all she could do was put her hand on his back.

Surprised, Greg looked down at Morgan who was giving him a sad smile. Her green eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"I'd better go too" she said softly,"But first I need to get my cheesecake pan."

"Right" he said briskly, grateful for the interruption. They walked back inside and Greg retrieved the pan for her. "Are you sure you don't need any help cleaning up?" She asked, suddenly aware that if she got into her car now, she'd start weeping.

"Thanks anyway, but I just have to throw away a few things and Sara already collected the beer bottles." He looked around the interior of the house. He felt awkward again. He did not want Morgan to leave. He was sick of people leaving him.

Morgan nodded and gave a little sniffle as she made a motion to reach for the door handle. He walked over to her and gave her a side hug. "We'll be okay." he said reassuringly. He leaned over a bit farther to rest his chin on top of her head. He felt like bawling himself. Nick was like an older brother to him. "But how much longer until you leave me?" She blurted. "I mean, in this field of work-"

Greg cut her off, "Morgan, I'm not going anywhere." He now felt an overwhelming urge to be even closer to her. He moved his free hand around her waist, meeting his other hand at the base of her back. He wasn't thinking about how wonderful it felt to be holding this beautiful woman in his arms. He wanted to reassure her that she meant more to him than he had ever let on in the past. He would go anywhere with her. No words came out though. Morgan shifted slightly, allowing herself to sink into Greg's warm embrace. She put both of her hands on Greg's chest. That little movement caused the mood between them to change. Morgan could feel Greg's heartbeat quicken under her hand. Electricity coursed between the two of them. Greg leaned a little closer to her, his lips near her ear. Morgan closed her eyes as the butterflies danced in her stomach. "Morgan, I want to be with you." He whispered into her ear. "For a very long time, I've wanted that. I don't want to go anywhere without you."

Morgan moved her hands up Greg's chest, moving them to the base of his neck. There was no mistaking what he thought now. She met Greg's gaze. She could see the desire in his eyes, but could tell he was worried about her reaction. The anticipation was too much for her to handle any longer. She rose up to give him a soft kiss on the lips. He kissed her back, softly at first. As her lips parted,she deepened the kiss, amazed at her body's passionate response. Greg slowly moved one hand to Morgan's hip, marveling how wonderful it felt to finally give into what he was feeling. Morgan arched into him, as she kissed her way up Greg's neck towards his ear.

Greg let out a shaky sigh as Morgan nibbled his ear lobe. "Greg" she breathed into his ear. "I've never seen your bedroom before."

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was not expecting her to say that. He looked down at her bright green eyes, glimmering in the light. He could see a little smirk forming on her luscious mouth.

He couldn't help but grin back. "Are you sure?" he said. He'd yearned for Morgan for years, but he wanted to be sure this wasn't a spontaneous comfort need and he'd be something she'd regret in the morning.

Morgan looked Greg in the eye and grinned. "The last three times we 'hung out together'" she said, doing air quotes with one hand, other arm stilll wrapped around his neck. "I have worn my sexiest lingerie set in the hopes that you would be seeing it. Does that answer your question?"

"You mean I've had the chance to do this earlier and I didn't?" Greg was wide eyed at Morgan's revelation.

"Yes," she giggled. "Would you like to make up for lost time now?"

Greg grinned at the gleam in her eyes. He reached down to put his arms around her waist as she jumped up and wrapped her legs around him. Their lips met in a passionate kiss as Greg slowly moved from the foyer to the bedroom. He was having trouble concentrating as Morgan whispered her desires into his ear.  
After what seemed like an eternity, Greg entered the bedroom, carefully depositing Morgan on the cleanly made king size bed. None of it registered with Morgan as she backed into the middle of the bed and Greg crawled forward to meet her in a passionate kiss.

She sighed as Greg laid on top of her, trailing kisses down her neck. She arched into him, feeling his arousal. Reaching for the hem of his t-shirt, she pulled it up and off. Greg did the same with her tank top. The rest of their clothing followed just as quickly.


	3. Take Me Out To The Ballgame

What is the significance of the red fibres that we found beside the vic?" Asked Morgan, examining the photo Greg handed her.

"I think-" Greg's cellphone chirped, interrupting him. He reached for it, and quickly read the text, his face furrowing into a frown.

"What did Hodges say?" Morgan quiered as she noticed his expression.

"Oh, it wasn't Hodges, it was a buddy of mine. We were supposed to go to a Las Vegas 51's game tomorrow night but he's unable to make it now." He shrugged. "Too bad, I was looking forward to it."

"51's game eh?" Morgan smiled.

"Yeah, it's our local minor league baseball team." Replied Greg.

Morgan laughed. "I know who they are. Do you think just because I'm a girl, I don't know anything about baseball?" She put her hands on her hip and smiled.

"Sorry, Morgan." Greg smiled at her sheepishly. "I made an assumption."

"Yes you did. While I was living in California, I took in quite a few ball games. I was quite the Padre's fan before I moved here." Morgan wagged her finger at Greg in mock indignation.

"Well, it seems I have a free ticket tomorrow, do you want to join me?" He looked over at her with a smile.

"Really? Sure! I love going to the ball park."

"Great."

Turning her attention back to the photo layout, Morgan asked, "Now what were you saying about the fibers?"

Saturday evening, Greg arrived on Morgan's doorstep right on time. She stepped out to greet him.

"Nice shirt." She said giving him a once over. He wore a faded 51's shirt that clung nicely to his frame.

Greg smiled, "Gotta wear the gear when you go to the game." He replied. "Where's your Jersey Ms. Baseball?" He looked her up and down.

"That's the guy part of baseball." She smacked his arm as she walked past him to his car.

Greg caught up to her and walked with her the last few steps to the passenger side door. He held it open for her as she climbed in. "Well you still look nice." He said sincerely, shutting her door.

The talked amicably about little things as they made their way to the stadium. She asked him about his friend who couldn't make it and he inquired how she was getting along with her father.

As they got to the parking lot of the stadium, Greg recognized a familiar place. "You know, it was only about a month ago I processed a crime scene right over there." Greg pointed to a parking lot in the distance as the two walked from their own parking spot to the stadium.

Morgan laughed. "I find myself thinking that a lot lately." she admitted. "I think I'm settling in to Las Vegas nicely. . I've seen so much of the city through my work, it feels so familiar. Not always in a good way though."

"Do you like it here otherwise?" Asked Greg, leading her through the turnstiles.

"I do," Replied Morgan, smiling up at him. "I came here at first just because I just needed a job. I didn't come to expect that I'd settle in here as well as I did. I never dreamed I'd find such a great job with co workers that feel like family."

Greg leaned into Morgan and gave her a nudge. "The feeling is mutual."

"Hey, let me get us a beer before we find our seats." Morgan walked up to a vendor. "It isn't a baseball game without enjoying a cold beer."

"What about peanuts and crackerjacks?" Replied Greg, referring to the classic baseball song.

She laughed as they made their way to their seats.

Greg was pleasantly surprised that Morgan was such good company at the baseball game. "You know, Morgan., I'm really glad you came tonight. I'm impressed with your baseball knowledge. Said Greg, putting an arm companionably over the back of her seat.

"You can thank Pete Kelly for my baseball knowledge." She replied turning towards him.

"Oh, and who is this Pete Kelly?" Greg cocked his head.

"He was the starting shortstop for our high school varsity team. Tall, lanky and he wore his uniform quite well. Half of the female population of our high school would go to games just to watch him.|

"Oh, so you were a baseball groupie?" Joked Greg.

Morgan smiled and nudged Greg playfully. "You keep that to yourself." She looked up at him. "What about you, did you play baseball?"

"Nope, chess was my thing. I only really got into watching baseball because of my buddy. I like the strategy behind baseball. You have one random element- the ball. And depending on what the ball does, you have a set of plays to choose from, some better than others. But you only have a split second to decide which play to make."

Just then the people around them went wild, yelling and screaming. Morgan and Greg looked towards the giant TV monitor in the outfield. On the monitor the two of them stared at themselves. The monitor showed them framed inside a heart with the words "Kiss Cam" above.

Morgan contemplated the situation for a second. She'd be lying if she said the thought of kissing Greg had never crossed her mind. She'd give him a quick peck. She leaned up towards him. Unbeknownst to her, Greg was thinking the same thing. Their lips met in a soft kiss. Awareness flooded through Morgan's body. Greg gave her a second soft kiss more sensual than the first. They parted slowly. Morgan sat back down, stunned at the intensity of the kiss. It was probably only a two or three second kiss, but the intensity of her body's reaction was not what she'd been expecting.

The visiting team ran from their dugout to take the field, but Morgan didn't notice any of it. Her mind was still back at that kiss.

Greg looked over at her and smiled to himself. He'd noticed her reaction to the kiss just as they broke away. He wasn't surprised at the electricity between them. He always knew if he got the chance to kiss her, it'd be like that. Obviously, Morgan hadn't felt the same. He'd let her have a few minutes to think about it.

Morgan's head was spinning. She couldn't focus on the game, she could only focus on the kiss and how badly she wanted another one. Beside her, Greg and the other fans were cheering as a 51's player smacked a long home run off of the right field foul pole. Did the kiss have no effect on him at all? She wondered. She needed some air.

'I"m going to get some nachos." she said suddenly and practically bolted down the aisle away from him.

Greg watched her go, admiring the sway of her hips as she went. He smiled to himself. Maybe Morgan would finally admit there was more between them than just friendship.

He watched the game for a little while longer, before he started thinking she'd been gone for a while. Starting to get worried, he scanned the area near the stairs. Did he cross a line? He was starting to worry that something had happened, and things weren't all good. Just as he thought he'd better go look for her, she came down the steps holding a tray of nachos and two beers.

She smiled at him, looking him in the eye for the first time in two innings. "Seventh inning stretch snack food." She gestured as she sat down beside him.

He thanked her and reached for a beer, imploring himself to be on his best behaviour. They concentrated on the game until the end, neither daring to make any conversation other than baseball.

After the game the two of them made their way out of the stadium. They stayed close, moving with the crowd. Once Greg put his hand on her lower back, causing heat to flood through Morgan's body. Would there be another kiss later? She wondered.

Greg had noticed Morgan hadn't been herself since the kiss and decided he had to say something about it. They'd gotten back to the parking lot and before he opened the door for her, he needed to talk to her.

"Wait, Morgan." He reached for her arm as she went to open the door. "Can we talk for a second?"

She looked at him and nodded while chewing her bottom lip.

He led her over to the curb of the parking space across from them. For lack of a better seat, this would do for now. The duo sat down.

Greg fiddled with his hands while he searched for the words. "Look Morgan, I want to apologize if I did anything wrong. If I went too far with the kiss. I never wanted to make you uncomfortable."

Instantly, Morgan felt badly that she'd given Greg the wrong impression. "Oh, Greg, I'm so sorry. This has nothing to do with you." She turned to face him, putting her hand lightly on his shoulder. "I'm not going to lie, the kiss did throw me for a bit of a loop." She searched for the right words to convey her feelings. "To be honest with you..." Darn, this was harder than she thought. She threw her hands in the air, searching for the words. Finally, with businesslike tone, she continued. "Yes, sometimes I have had less than platonic thoughts about you and I'm pretty sure you're not all innocent in that regard either."

"Guilty as charged." Agreed Greg with a small grin.

She gave him a playful shove and continued."Right, but I guess I wasn't really ready to act on those feelings. We have to work together still. Could you imagine what the people at work would have said if they saw us on the Kiss Cam tonight?"

Realization dawned on both of them at the same time. "You don't think anyone we know saw us? Do you?" Said Morgan wide eyed, looking at Greg.

"The odds are pretty slim, but you never know. I didn't even think of that." He said with a grimace.

"Oh, please tell me Hodges doesn't like baseball. Of anyone who could have seen us, he would be the worst." Morgan replied, still a little worried.

"Lets hope not." Greg replied.

They lapsed into silence for a few minutes, each lost in their thoughts. Finally Greg looked over at Morgan. The harsh lights of the parking lot were giving her a glow, reflecting off her pale skin. Greg's eyes traveled down towards her lips. He longed to kiss her again but knew this was not the time. Whatever was going to happen between them was now Morgan's decision. He waited while she sat in silence, eyes looking forward.

Morgan turned to Greg. She studied his brown eyes as he searched her eyes in return. He had a gleam in his eyes and a slight smile on his face as he waited patiently for her to say something. Suddenly, she didn't want to say anything more. She wanted another kiss. But she owed him an explanation. She moved in a little closer, putting her hand on his knee. "I guess I'm just a bit scared because there is a lot at stake here." she said quietly. "If things don't work out, it'll be me who has to move on, you've made a career here and I've only been here a short while."

Greg inched closer and replied, just as softly, "What if it does work out?"

She could resist no more and leaned the final few inches into Greg for a soft kiss on the lips. He met her lips eagerly and shared another passionate kiss, this one lasting longer.

When they broke apart, Greg brought his hand up to her face and smiled at her. "There is no law that we have to jump into this intense relationship that has to be all or nothing right away." He took her hand in his, caressing her palm with his thumb. "Why don't I take you on a date sometime. We don't have to tell anyone at work, we can keep things quiet and figure things out in our own time. While our work is important, it does't define our lives 24/7."

Morgan mulled over Greg's words. He made a lot of sense. Maybe she'd just been overthinking things. No matter what happened from here on out, there was no denying that they had chemistry together. There was no way to go back in time to erase the two kisses from memory.

"Once again, you say all of the right things, Sanders." Morgan looked up at Greg with a smile, She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and stood up, extending her hands to his.

He held her hands as he stood up, but enveloped her in a tight hug once he was standing.

Back at Morgan's front door, Morgan turned around and gave Greg a big hug. This time the kiss they they shared was long, lingering and toe curling. When they parted, Morgan smiled up at Greg. "Do you want to come inside?" she asked.

Greg sighed and put his forehead to hers. "As much as I"d love to, I"d better give you some time to make sure you don't have any regrets tomorrow morning."

He kissed her softly and left her standing on doorstep.

Morgan couldn't help but smile.


	4. Chapter 4

Greg sighed as he walked to his locker. It had been a very tough few weeks at the crime lab. There had been some very difficult cases and all three shifts had been maxing out on their overtime. As Greg opened his locker, he sighed again. It was a sigh of pure exhaustion and mental fatigue. Slowly he reached for his jacket and shrugged it on. He was looking forward to just going home and falling into bed. He was off duty for the next two days and ineligible to work any overtime. He was planning on taking full advantage of it. Closing his locker door, he turned to leave just as Morgan walked into the room. Reflexively, Greg stood up a little straighter. Seeing Morgan always perked him up. As usual, he tried to ignore his feelings for Morgan that bubbled under the surface, but he had been failing more often lately.  
Greg noticed Morgan was nowhere near her bubbly self. She barely mustered up a smile as she walked over to her locker. Her shoulders were slumped and she slowly reached for her purse. Greg wanted to find out what was bothering her and somehow make it better. "Are you okay, Morgan? Hard shift?" He reached out with the first words he could think of.

To his surprise, he saw her shoulders slump even further and start to shake. Morgan was crying! It took Greg by surprise. He knew Morgan did not like to show weakness at work. He felt an even greater need to comfort her. He took two quick strides to stand beside her. Tentatively he put his right arm around her shoulders.  
When Morgan realized Greg's arm was around her she was startled and stopped crying. Momentarily she stiffened up, embarrassed she had let her emotions get the best of her. Then she gave in to her fatigue and the horror she'd recently witnessed. She laid her head on Greg's shoulder and put an arm around his waist. Right now she wanted comfort from someone who understood how the horror of the job can affect the mind. Greg had always been there to offer comfort when she needed it even though she always tried to keep her emotions in check when she was at work. She was still embarrassed about breaking down on her first job back after being kidnapped. Greg had given her a hug then and she manged to quickly compose herself. Today, with the double shifts, fatigue and her latest case rattling her, she let her guard down, but just for a second.

With a deep breath, Morgan pulled her arm back and stood up straight. She managed to look Greg in the eye. "Thanks so much, I needed that. I have had so much trouble with the last few cases. Young children who didn't deserve to have what happened to them." she closed her eyes, shaking her head and pushing the memory away. "The fatigue is really taking a toll on me. I really need to take a little break, get some sleep and be a normal person for a few days." She pinched the bridge of her nose and took another deep breath before looking back at Greg. "I've got two days off and I plan on using those to my full advantage." She gave him a sad smile and turned back to close her locker.

Greg walked out with her, changing the topic to Morgan's days off. He was trying to think of a way to suggest they get together over the next two days, He wondered if Morgan didn't want to think about work at all and he'd be a reminder of work. It was a cop out,and he knew it.

Greg walked Morgan all the way to her car. There was an awkward silence while she moved to unlock her car door. Greg saw Morgan was still a bit shaky and still felt the need to make sure Morgan was not going to be too upset on the drive home. When she opened the door, Greg spoke up, "Hey Morgan, if you need anything over the next couple of days, or just want to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks Greg," replied Morgan, grateful for knowing someone cared about her. "I'm just going to try to forget about work for the next little while. I think I'm a bit burnt out, that's all." She gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile and sat down in the driver's seat.

On the way home, Morgan found herself not thinking of her latest case, but about Greg. Just by being there today, he made her feel better. They had both experienced the horrors of the job and sometimes comfort comes from someone who can relate. She smiled as she thought of him coming up and putting his arm around her. Of course she had to have been crying at the time, she thought ruefully. She started thinking of some of her favorite times with Greg. She smiled as she thought of their flirting. She and Greg has such great times together. Why can't they do it more often out of work? Oh right. It would probably just make work more difficult or weird.

************  
That night, as Morgan slept, the images started to come. Slowly at first, but then more and more and more graphic. First there were small flashes, a hand, a foot, a gun. Then the images started becoming clearer. Beautiful chestnut brown hair, a doll covered in blood and a teddy bear. The dead little girls, killed by their own mother. Morgan tossed and turned and tried to will the images go away. But they were persistent. She'd just get back to sleep and be woken up, tortured by another image of the girls.

By morning Morgan's bed sheets were a tangled mess. Morgan felt like a tangled mess herself. Her head hurt and she just wanted to go back to sleep, but no matter how she tried, she couldn't get back to sleep. She stood up and instinctively reached for her phone, expecting to see a work related text. Sure enough, she had a text from Greg. "How are you doing this morning?" Was all it said. It still made Morgan smile. For some reason she wanted to reach out to him. She had a bad night and there was nothing to be ashamed about it.

She texted back, "Pretty rough, had some bad dreams."

Quickly Greg replied, "That's tough, do you want me to bring you coffee to cheer you up?"

Morgan paused. Did she really want Greg to come over? Yes, but having just him over, and not other members of the team may be a bit weird. Did she want to open her self to the possibility of more with Greg? "Yes" came the reply from deep inside her brain. Mentally she debated with herself. "You've gone for beer with him before. You have a great time with him. He can really help you cheer you up. He's been in the same situation as you did. You're not asking him to marry you, he's going to bring you coffee, just say yes." Her brain finally decided on an answer so she texted him back affirmative.

"Time to hit the shower Brody!" She said once she replied. "Gotta look presentable." She hopped in the shower, a smile on her face, anticipating the morning, or technically evening.

She'd just toweled herself off when she heard the buzzer announce Greg had entered her building. She answered the call, "Hey Greg, I've just gotten out of the shower. I'll unlock the door, come one in. I'll be out soon."

Greg stood back as the condo building entrance door opened. Mentally he tried to shake the picture of a wet Morgan wearing nothing but a towel. He was a little apprehensive opening the door to her condo, not wanting to intrude on anything. He opened her condo door and found Morgan walking towards the door. She was fresh from the shower, wet hair combed neatly. He had never seen her without her makeup before. His breath caught in his throat. She was stunning. Too bad he hadn't arrived 15 minutes earlier and found her in the shower. Greg coloured a little at the thought.

Morgan didn't notice Greg's reaction. She was focused on the tray with 2 coffee cups clutched in his hand. She relieved him of the coffee tray and beckoned for him to follow her. Happily he followed her into her kitchen.

"I really needed this coffee!" said Morgan gratefully as she took a swig of her coffee. She handed Greg's coffee to him as he opened up the bag of food he'd also purchased. She smiled as he handed her a container of chocolate chip pancakes. "This looks pretty good too, although I would have been just as happy with coffee and your company." She looked down at the table, realizing she sounded a little sappy. She sneaked a look at Greg, who was concentrating a little too hard on getting his container out of the take out bag. Maybe it was time for Morgan to suggest they go out on a real date sometime. He'd brought her breakfast on his day off. That had to mean something.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Greg asked quietly. Morgan choked on her coffee, coughing a bit before she realized he was talking about her rough night and not her thoughts these past few minutes.

Morgan actually found it a relief to talk about her nightmares instead of her feelings. She immediately started telling Greg about her last shift. "You know we processed a crime scene with two young kids last night, right?" Greg nodded as he opened his take out container and started to dig into his food. "Well, it was a mom with postpartum psychosis. She took the lives of her two babies. One 3 and the other one was almost 1 year. It was awful, walking in to see David beside the 3 year old. The mom had posed the child with all of her dolls and stuffed animals. You could just see how beautiful this little girl was. Curly brown hair, beautiful skin and dead." Morgan took a deep breath and composed herself. Greg had stopped eating and listened intently as Morgan continued.

"We found evidence that the husband knew his wife was having some very severe mental issues and he had told her that she was being crazy and stupid. He mentioned to us that his wife's doctor told her she needed to go on antidepressants and see a psychiatrist. He actually told us that he forbade the wife from taking the pills and seeing a shrink because only mental freaks do that. Can you believe that? His wife killed his two kids and herself not because she had postpartum psychosis but because her husband actually forbade her from seeking help. Those kids did not need to die." Her voice rose in anger and she let a tear run down her cheek. She didn't care if Greg saw it.

Across the table, Greg reached for her hand. "That is awful. These cases are some of the worst parts of the job. We all get involved in a case that gets personal. It just proves we are human" Morgan looked down at his hand, resting over hers. She moved her hand to squeeze his.

"I know, but with kids, this one really hit home. It gets me thinking, do I really want kids? With all of the evil in this world? How can we bring children into a world like this?"

She had meant "we" in general, but Greg widened his eyes and drew his hands back in surrender. Trying to lighten the mood, he said threw up his hands and said,"Woah, Brody. I just came offering breakfast, not to have babies!"

Morgan laughed. "Sorry, Sanders. Didn't mean to scare you! I know how men frighten easy when the womenfolk start talking about babies." she wiggled her eyebrows up and down when she said that.

Greg looked at Morgan, his gaze serious. "You'd be wonderful mom, perhaps a little overcautious. There is no way the nature of our careers would not affect our parenting. But I've seen you working with children. Any kid would be lucky to have you as a mommy." He smiled at her when he said the last part.

"Thanks, but I'm nowhere ready to have a baby now. Apparently it is a two person job and I'm still flying solo." The conversation was starting to veer into territory she and Greg never ventured into. but she pressed on, being honest.

"That makes two of us." Stated Greg as he picked up his fork and resumed eating. He was starting to feel a little uneasy as well. Here he was in a beautiful woman's apartment and he was reminding himself he was nearing forty and still single. He then realized he'd said the last bit out loud. Quickly he added, "So I come to cheer you up and end up having a little pity party about my age. Good friend I am."

"You aren't forty yet, and you've got plenty time to find someone. I'm the one who has to worry about my eggs drying up. Or so my mom likes to remind me." Morgan shrugged, picking up her fork to continue eating. "She says I'm single because I work in Law Enforcement. She's still a little jaded because of her and my dad." A thought crept into Morgan's mind. Herr mom had never understood exactly what her dad did and why he worked so hard. Maybe there is a better chance of a couple working out if they both are in law enforcement- and work the crazy night shift? They know what each other is going through. Morgan had always looked at it from her mom's perspective before. She'd turned that line of thought on and flipped it around, seeing it from another perspective for the first time.

They talked a little more, dancing around the question of them, together. But the more Morgan sat and talked with Greg, the happier she seemed to get. Pretty soon they were laughing and joking about nothing, flirting as usual.

To Greg, it seemed Morgan wasn't just flirting, but sending him signals. "Does she actually want more? " He thought as they moved from the kitchen table to the couch facing the television.

"I"m not keeping you from anything? Am I?" Asked Morgan, trying to reassure herself that Greg wanted to be here.

"Couldn't think of a better place to be on my day off." Said Greg, sitting beside her on the couch. He left just enough space so Morgan wouldn't feel like he was coming on to her, but he still craved her closeness.

Morgan flipped on the TV and they channel surfed until they found the first thing they both agreed to watch. They watched it for about 2 minutes before they started talking again.

They talked about nothing and everything for the next 15 minutes, They were facing each other now, instead of the TV. Greg had put his arm on the back of the couch, towards her. Their opposite knees, resting on the couch were lightly touching. Morgan had felt a fluttering in her stomach when their knees had first made contact and was secretly thrilled that Greg didn't move his leg away.

She was starting to feel like she was back in high school, sitting in the basement of her home, waiting for her crush to make a move. The conversation suddenly died.  
Greg felt the mood change. He could feel the anticipation in the air. He knew he wasn't misreading Morgan. He needed to work up the courage to make his move.  
Morgan spoke first. "Greg," she said slowly, "Have you ever though about, you know," she suddenly lost her nerve as she played with the fringe on the blanket lying atop the couch. Without speaking, Greg pulled her hand away from the fringe and gathered her free hand and took both of her hands in his. This gave Morgan the courage to go on. "You are someone very special in my life. Coming over here on your day off to make sure I'm doing okay, bringing me breakfast. Perhaps we should explore, maybe..." She trailed off as Greg moved in a bit closer and then stopped.

Secretly Greg was enjoying watching Morgan fumble over her words. He was glad it wasn't him for a change. But he needed to hear what she wanted. He needed to know that his feelings were reciprocated. In the back of his mind, Greg knew the dreaded, "but I just want to be friends" could still be said.

Morgan continued, deciding to go for it. "Look Greg, you are an awesome guy, great looking, funny and so thoughtful. I really like you, maybe we should, like, explore actually dating each other?" She lifted her head a bit and took a peek at Greg's face.

There was a hint of a smile on his face as he reached his hand to Morgan's cheek, followed by his head lowering, lips meeting hers.

It was a soft kiss at first. Morgans lips met his and she put her hand on the back of his head, running her fingers through his hair as she kissed him. She deepened the kiss, marveling how wonderful it felt.

Greg's free hand reached for Morgan's waist, as his other hand still rested on her cheek. He loved the feeling of having her so close. Just then Morgan shifted her weight forward, catching Greg off guard. but without breaking the kiss, she gently moved forward, causing Greg to lay back on the couch. Morgan followed him, deepening the kiss even further. She sighed Greg's name as he broke contact and moved his lips down her neck.

Just over a month had passed since that wonderful night in Morgan's apartment. Morgan and Greg had decided to keep things quiet and not tell anyone at work they were dating. Their relationship was still new and they didn't want the extra scrutiny. They were as professional as possible at work, but when on their time off, they enjoyed each other's company.

Morgan thought she was better at keeping things professional at work. She'd taken to calling Greg, "Sanders" most times she acknowledged him. They kept flirting to a minimum and just tried to go about their jobs. Nick and the others had noticed a shift in their behaviour but nobody could quite figure out what that shift meant. Sara and Nick had discussed it one slow night coming back from a crime scene.

"I think the chemistry is gone between them. They just seem like work colleagues." Said Sara as Nick drove.

"I still see Greg checking her out when she's not looking. He still has it bad for her." Replied Nick.

"Maybe Morgan has been dating someone?" The idea had just come to Sara's mind. " That's a possibility. She's off limits now and Greg would respect that. Maybe the next time I work with her, I'll ask her if she's seeing anyone."Sara paused for a second and turned towards Nick. "You don't think that Greg asked her out and she turned him down, do you?"

"Ha!" Nick laughed, as he made a left turn. "There is no way that guy has the guts to ask her out. He's had a crush on her since she got here. If he hadn't made a move in the last year, there's no way he'd make one now."

"I think you're selling Greg short. I think he's being very smart and cautious. Maybe he's weighing the pros and cons about being in a work relationship. Sara replied. "Poor Greg."

"I guess we won't get our answer unless we walk on them making out in the break room."

it was a Thursday night and Nick had been called into work early. He had just stopped by his favourite coffee shop, right beside the megaplex movie theater. Mentally he cursed himself for stopping at this particular coffee place earlier than normal. A movie was just getting out and there were people everywhere. He stood in the long line and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Hey Sara," he drawled, "Are you coming in early too?"

"Yeah," she replied. "why?

"I'm getting coffee, want one?"

"That'd be great, Nick. Thanks"

Just as Nick hung up, he noticed Greg's SUV parked a little ways away in the parking lot. Squinting, he could just see Greg going to the far side of the car. It looked like he was not alone. Between the people walking by, he couldn't get a good look at who he was with. Unfortunately the driver's door was facing Nick and Greg and the girl went around the passenger side. Nick could make out a blond head, standing by the open passenger door. Just then Greg leaned in for a long and passionate kiss. Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Wow, Greg, nice going man!" He thought. He was a little surprised Greg hadn't mentioned he'd had a date. Greg had been going through quite a dry spell thought about going over and meeting this mystery lady, but then he'd lose his place in line. Right now, he'd rather have the coffee. Nick made a mental note to inquire about this mystery woman the next time he and Greg worked together.

The next night, before shift, Greg walked into the break room to make some coffee. Nick was already sitting at the table in the center of the room, enjoying a before work snack. His eyes lit up as he saw Greg. It was time to interrogate.

"Hey Greg! How was your night off? Do anything interesting?" Nick inquired.

"Not really." Shrugged Greg, turning his back to Nick to grab a coffee mug.

"Oh, I thought I saw you at the movies when I stopped for coffee on my way to work." Nick grinned.

Greg's eyes widened with this information. He'd been spotted at the cinema, damn. Nick was going to ask a ton of question and Greg knew he wasn't going to get off easy. "Yeah, I saw 'Frogger'," he said mentioning a comedy currently playing. Waiting for Nick to mention Morgan's name, mentally Greg braced himself for a barrage of questions regarding their relationship.

"So, who was the hot blond I saw you with and why didn't you say anything, man?" asked Nick. "Pretty cool you had a date. How'd it go?"

Stalling for time, Greg took a sip of coffee. Nick hadn't seen it was Morgan. Maybe he could continue to lie by omission. "It was just a date, nothing really to tell, yet." Replied Greg, hoping that would appease Nick.

"Well, from the lip lock I saw you two in, I expect to be introduced to her soon."

Inwardly Greg laughed. An introduction would certainly surprise Nick. Outwardly, Greg shifted his feet uneasily and looked around the room. He really didn't know what to say without giving away his mystery woman. He and Nick were close, and he wanted to tell Nick. However, he and Morgan weren't really ready for the scrutiny that would inevitably happen whenever the two would work together.

Nick could see Greg was feeling pretty uneasy and he started to feel a little bad for him. The poor guy had a very bad relationship history and he could understand why Greg wanted to keep things quiet. He let Greg off the hook. "Was the movie any good?"

"It was good, nothing special though." Greg replied, just as Morgan and Sara entered the room.

"What was good?" asked Sara, standing in the doorway beside Morgan.

Greg tried to give Morgan an look warning them that they were dangerously close to being caught. Unfortunately, Morgan didn't notice Greg's silent warning.

"The movie, 'Frogger'." said Nick.

"Oh," replied Sara turning to Morgan, "Isn't that the movie you and your mystery friend that you won't talk about saw last night?"

Morgan, still unaware her secret was about to come out, replied, "Yeah, we did."

Greg turned to look at Nick, seeing if he'd put the pieces together. Judging by the raised eyebrows, followed by a big smile that suddenly erupted on his face, he had. Nick leaned back on his chair, put his hands behind his head and grinned widely. He was about to say something when Morgan's phone rang.

"It's Hodges, he's got my trace. I'll see you all later." she said as she turned and walked back outside the door.

Sara looked from Nicks grinning face to Greg's stricken look and immediately knew something was up. "What?" she said simply.

"The hot blond! It was Morgan!" exclaimed Nick excitedly. He got out of his chair and walked over to Greg and heartily patted him on the back. He didn't need confirmation, it was written all over Greg's face.

"What was Morgan?" asked Sara, looking at Nick,quite curious now.

Nick gleefully filled her in, still grinning wildly at finding out the information, as Greg stood by, hands in his pockets. Now that the secret was out, he actually felt a little proud of himself. He would like to let the world to know he was dating Morgan.

Nick reached into his wallet and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. Reaching across the table, he handed it to Sara. "You win," he said. "I didn't think he'd ever make a move."


	5. Under the Surface

A/N-Thank you to everyone for letting me know you've enjoyed these stories. I have a few more elsewhere that I'm editing and bringing over, so a few more to come. Glad you are enjoying these.

From the doorway of the dingy motel room, Morgan and Greg studied the dead girl in the center of the squalid room. It was obvious that someone had been living in the hotel room, using it as a permanent residence.. The lone desk that jutted up against the fading green wallpaper held Styrofoam take out containers and pizza boxes stacked on the table and on its chair. There were pieces of dirty clothing scattered around the room. Assorted pieces of garbage, both small and large littered the periphery of the room. The unmade queen size bed was the only surface not covered by garbage or clothing. The nightstand beside the unmade bed had drug paraphernalia littered over the surface, in between the various food wrappers. "First impression?" said Morgan, looking at Greg as they made their way closer to the dead girl. "Overdose." said Greg. "We won't be here long. It's a cut and dry case."

Morgan shrugged as Greg walked over to and squatted next to the girl's dead body. He brought his camera up and started taking photos, documenting the condition of the poor girl's body. Greg's nose twitched, taking in the odor of sweat and fast food fries. Thank goodness there hadn't been a chance for decomposition of the body to set in. The smell in the room was funky enough. He shifted his concentration back to taking photos. A 911 call had come from the hotel room, alerting the authorities, but it was too late for the girl to be saved. The 911 caller had vanished as well. Morgan was pulling prints off of the inside of the door handle, hopefully getting a clue as to who called 911.

Through his camera, Greg documented the bleached blond hair, thinning, matted and messy. He took photos of the sores, scrapes and track marks that indicated chronic drug use. The girl was missing some teeth, and her remaining teeth were rotting and in poor condition. Her skin was grimy and it was obvious she hadn't showered recently. Clad only in an obviously still quite new red and black lacy bra and matching lacy black boy cut underwear, she had had a hard life and it had ended lying on this grimy hotel room floor.

Morgan came over with a brown paper bag. Carefully, she picked up the grimy grey t shirt that was on top of a pair of old, ratted track pants. The clothing were lying beside the girl, close to her torso. It was obviously they had been placed there by someone else. "If you are dying of an overdose, one thing you don't do is get your clothes from somewhere in this pile, and then place them beside you." She mused, as she checked the label of the grimy grey shirt that might have once been white. "Besides, I recognize the labels from these clothes. They are from a discount store and she's obviously had them for a while." She bagged up the clothing and then came over to squat beside Greg. "The big question I have though, is why is this girl wearing La Pearl underwear?"

Greg looked over at her, eyebrows furrowed. "La Pearla underwear? I have to admit that I'm not an expert in women's underwear. My expertise is taking them off." He turned to Morgan and grinned at his own joke. " What is so great about La Pearla?"

Morgan swatted his arm and laughed. "See this tag?" She pointed to a tag sewn into the side of the bra strap. "The fancy La Pearla logo had been carefully hand sewn into the garment. "That coupled with the obvious quality of the garment tipped me off that this wasn't discount lingerie. Having purchased enough bras in my life, I've learned the hard way that buying a high quality bra is the best way to get a good fit"

Slightly uncomfortable with Morgan talking about her lingerie, Greg tried to focus on learning more. He enjoyed learning more to help him become a better CSI. In this situation, it just happened to be high end women's underwear. Morgan had been tipped off on something that he would not have noticed. "So how much does this stuff cost?" He asked.

"Well from personal experience, having purchased a La Pearla set very similar to this, you're looking at around 300 dollars for the set." Morgan said, looking back at the body.

"Three hundred dollars?!" Exclaimed Greg, flabbergasted. The more more he learned about women, the less he understood. "That is a lot of money for the stuff to be worn under clothing and then discarded when things get interesting." Greg went back to photographing the girl's pricey lingerie. Now that he knew this was a very pricey item, he was no longer sure this was a run of the mill overdose by a junkie. Junkies do not pay that much for underwear. Three hundred dollars would go straight to feed their drug habit, not buy fancy underwear.

"So, may I ask, what made you decide to purchase such expensive undergarments when the cost is practically a car payment?" Asked Greg, curiosity overcoming his reluctance to think about Morgan in her underwear.

Morgan returned to the body to start processing foreign substances. She focused on swabbing evidence off the girl's body, carefully avoiding Greg's eyes. " If you must know, a little while ago, there was this guy I was interested in." She paused for a few seconds. " I thought that things were starting to somewhere and I decided to splurge on some fancy lingerie. But unfortunately, nothing ever happened."

"Well, that guy is an idiot." declared Greg, putting his camera down.

Morgan stood up, swabs in hand. She stepped behind Greg, giving his back a pat as she walked by. "Yes, he is." She agreed. Greg's head snapped up, eyes wide. He turned to look at Morgan, but she had her back to him and had walked into the bathroom.

"I am an Idiot." He said quietly, standing up.

After processing the room, Greg and Morgan loaded their evidence in the Denali and headed back to the lab. While working in the room, the two CSI's had worked well and focused on their case. However, once they got in the car, Greg couldn't stop thinking about what Morgan had said about her and the mystery guy. He wanted to ask her more about this idiot. Could it have been him? Greg's mind was thinking back over the past. Sure, he and Morgan had gone out for a beer after work on occasion, or even breakfast. But he'd never noticed any romantic interest in her part and never pushed the issue. She had given him an old Sinatra record once. When she gave it to him, he could have sworn she hinted about maybe taking things further. But he had never noticed any more-

"Penny for your thoughts?" Morgan interrupted Greg's train of thought. "Are you okay?" She was looking at him with a concerned face.

How tell Morgan what he was really thinking without coming across as some lovesick weirdo? He decided to go with a joke. "I was just thinking about your underwear." He said with a grin, giving a sideways glance to Morgan. Before she could respond, he continued. "You know, maybe it is worth a trip to the La Pearla store to see if we can track down the buyer."

"Well, I did find the receipt and it was paid for in cash. I doubt any one will remember a run of the mill purchase, unless the girl herself came in to make the purchase." Morgan replied. "She would have been really out of place in that store. It would be memorable." She paused again. "Maybe we should check it out, we don't want to overlook something."

"Maybe you and Finn should go. You guys can do some shopping afterwards." He replied.

"Are you afraid to go into a Lingerie store, Greg? Or, are you afraid I'm going to start talking about my underwear again?" Morgan asked, smiling. Her goal was to make the tip of his ears turn red. He always looked so endearing to her, when she teased him.

Her goal was successful. Greg laughed, but his ears turned red. "A little of both." He decided to go for it and ask about the mystery guy. "So, tell me more about this mystery man who turned down the chance to see you in some very expensive underwear?"

His direct question caught Morgan off guard. She didn't think Greg would have had the nerve to follow up on her earlier remark. Sometimes she got a bit tired of keeping Greg at arm's length. He was a great guy and sometimes she just felt so much more for him than she should, considering he was a coworker. She caught him looking over at her again, questioning look on his face. "I don't know what to say." she stumbled over her words, trying to figure out how to backpedal. "There was a combination of factors I guess. I knew he was getting over someone and wanted to give him some space. Maybe I gave him too much space. Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough."

"How did you declare your interest? Guys can be pretty dense, I have to admit." Said Greg.

Morgan looked down at her hands. This was the moment that she could forget that they were coworkers, and tell him that she wanted to see him on a romantic level. She drew a deep breath, her mind was in overdrive, trying to determine how to say what she wanted to. "Can we not talk about this anymore?" She blurted out. "I felt like a big idiot for putting myself out there." With those two sentences, she chickened out.

"I'm sorry Morgan." Said Greg. He reached out and put one of his hands over one of hers and squeezed. "But he was the idiot for not figuring things out. He missed out on an amazing woman." He wasn't sure how he got the courage to grab her hand, but he wanted to comfort her.

Morgan's heart sped up as the heat from Greg's hand enveloped hers. She smiled down at his hand and her heart seemed to melt. "Thanks." she said gratefully. She looked up at him and gave him a brilliant smile.

Greg looked over and smiled back. He could see something new in her eyes. Maybe it was time to go for it. He looked back at the road, searching for something to say. Unfortunately, he realized that they were one turn away from headquarters. Reluctantly, he took his hand from hers and turned into the parking lot. He knew he had to say something to her before going back to the lab. He felt the need to act before the spell was broken.

Once he parked, the two got out of the Denali and both came around back to get their evidence. "Hey," said Greg, stopping Morgan before she could open the tailgate."I was thinking maybe I could take you out some time, to an actual restaurant." Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.

Greg took a deep breath, he suddenly felt quite nervous. "I thought that I could show you not all guys are complete idiots." He added hastily, trying to give himself a bit of leeway in case she turned him down. She might just think he was being nice.

Morgan's wide eyed expression vanished. Another brilliant smile replaced it, dazzling Greg. "You know what?" She said, "I'd really like that. But,"she paused. "If you think taking me to dinner means you're going to see me in that expensive underwear, that's not happening. Besides, I don't think I will ever wear them again. It is a little too unnerving to see the same stuff on a dead body. It is a shame too, I only wore them once or twice- To work even!" She wiggled her eyebrows seductively at him.

"Hey!| called someone from across the parking lot. Finn was jogging over, carrying to large bags of take out. "I just got back from a burger run for the lab. How was the case?"

With the mood broken, Greg opened the door to the Denali and started to unload. Morgan helped as they both filled Finn in on the details, including the fancy Lingerie.

"Okay, what is so great about this stuff, that it is one hundred dollars for a pair of underwear?" Asked Finn, as Morgan started up the Denali. Morgan had convinced Finn to go to the La Pearla store after she'd finished her take out. "I get my stuff at Victoria's Secret and the men seem to enjoy that."

Morgan smiled at Finn. The woman was pretty much an open book. She wasn't shy about sharing personal details. "It's just like I told Greg, it is about the fit and quality. Once you put on something like that, you realize how much better it is."

Finn jumped on this statement. "You and Greg were talking about your Lingerie choices? The poor guy. He must have spent the entire time at the crime scene unable to look you in the eye!"

"Really?" countered Morgan, not willing to tell Finn the entire story. "He didn't look too uncomfortable."

"Of course not, but come on!" Finn waved her hands around, "It is obviously the poor guy is attracted to you. He tries to hide it, but it comes out. I swear, last week, when D.B. asked him to join you at a crime scene, he practically skipped down the hall."

"I never really noticed." Lied Morgan. "We flirt, He's a great guy, but as for a deeper interest in me, he's never said anything to indicate it. Besides, I'm not so sure dating a co worker is the best idea."

"Love is Love, no matter where you happen to find it." Finn replied, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Greg is a good guy. You two would be a good team. Besides, when is the last time you've had sex?"

"Finn!" exclaimed Morgan. She wasn't telling Finn that it had been a very, very long time. She was a little uncomfortable with letting Finn know that information. If Finn found out, Morgan was sure that there'd be a lot more pressure for her to go out with Finn and prowl for guys. Morgan just wasn't a prowling type of girl. "It's been long enough." Was all Morgan said.

"Well, if you play your cards right, and purchase something from this very expensive shop, you and Greg could be remedying the dry spell right after this shift." Finn replied.

"Maybe the two of us should have dinner first."

"Whatever floats your boat, but dinner is just a lame barrier to the good stuff after dinner. Skip dinner and go right to the bedroom. That's what I do." Fin laughed.

Finn and Morgan had struck out at La Pearla, and they were only a few minutes from clocking out for the day. They'd stayed late because they had to wait for the mall to open before questioning the employees. Greg had probably already gone home. Morgan looked around the lab but didn't see him.  
Disappointed, she went to the locker room. She would have liked to talk about dinner again. She had hoped it wasn't a wild thought that hed blurted out and that wouldn't go anywhere. She hoped he was serious about taking her out. Just then her phone buzzed with a text. Eagerly, she fished it out of her pocket and took a look. It was a text from Greg.

"How about Saturday night for dinner? We're both off. I checked while you were at the lingerie store."

Morgan's stomach fluttered. She smiled as she answered. I have to wait three more days? She'd already started mentally rooting through her wardrobe. What to wear?

Just then Hodges came strolling into the locker room. "What type of poetic LOL speak is making you smile like that?" He said with raised eyebrows.

Morgan was in such a good mood, she didn't even try to cover up her goofy grin. "Just got asked out on a hot date Saturday night!" She replied, putting her phone in her purse and shutting her locker.

"What? With who? Do I know him?" Hodges sputtered as she turned to leave. "What kind of guy asks a beautiful woman out via text? I don't like this guy already." He said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Relax, Hodges. He's a good guy. But thanks for being concerned. I'll let you know how it goes." Morgan patted his arms as she passed him.

"Not too many details." Hodges replied, holding up his hands in a defensive manner. "Just be safe. There are a lot of creeps out there."

She smiled at Hodges as she left the locker room. If only he knew who the potential creep was.

Morgan sighed, as she locked her car door behind her and headed for police headquarters. Her last shift of the week. She was actually looking forward to the weekend for a change. Her normal routine had become pretty boring as of late. Her few friends that did not work at the crime lab were in steady relationships,not leaving much weekend time for her.

"Hey, how's it going?" Greg jogged a few steps and appeared at her side. She had been so busy daydreaming about the upcoming weekend, she'd walked right by his car. He flashed her a quick smile.

Automatically, Morgan grinned back. "Not too bad, lets hope it is a quiet night. I can't be too tired for tomorrow night!"

"Nope, you have to bring your A game, when going out with Greg Sanders." He replied with another grin. They'd moved to go up the stairs of the parking garage. Greg fell a step behind and placed his hand on her back as she moved up the stairs. Morgan tried not to let it affect her. It didn't work. At the top of the stairs, Greg reached out for the door, just then someone opened it from the other side and startled the two of them. Morgan took a step back, running into Greg. He took full advantage of the situation and placed both hands on her sides to steady her. The officer who had just come out of the door, waved his apologies for startling the two and headed down the stairs, barely slowing down. The door slammed shut in his wake. Greg reached around Morgan to open the door, not realizing how close to Morgan he was now. One week ago, he would have moved back. Today, he stood his ground, leaving his hand on her side.

XXXXX

*Sorry all, I couldn't think of a decent ending***


	6. Under the Surface II

**A/N: I decided to add a second chapter to this story to finish it off. Be warned, this is cheesy, cheesy romance and nothing more. It deserves to have smut at the bottom, but I couldn't make myself write it. Maybe one day.**

Saturday afternoon found Greg pacing in his living room. This date he had asked Morgan on had thrown him for a loop. Was it a real date? Did she see it that way?  
He hadn't been able to talk to her on Friday after arriving at work. They'd been sent on separate cases and Greg ended up putting in a couple of hours overtime.  
Greg stopped wandering his living room and looked around. After he'd woken up this morning, he'd tidied up the place, and cleaned up a few things. Now he was really unsure how to kill two hours before he had to pick up Morgan. Too much time for his anxiety to build. He'd planned to take Morgan to a really nice restaurant that could be considered romantic. Would she be expecting it or would she be uneasy, thinking this was just a fun and not real date? He figured he had one shot with her and if he screwed it up, any chance of a second date would be gone.

At Morgan's place, she was similarly occupied worrying about this date. Her fears mirrored Greg's. Was this a real date that could lead to more? She thought so, but didn't want to be wrong. She walked over to her closet and started taking inventory of her clothing. Greg could really surprise her. The dinner could be a picnic in the outlying mountains or at a sports bar. His tastes were quite varied. She'd look silly wearing heels to a picnic, or jeans to a fancy restaurant. Mulling it over she decided she needed to text him to find out what to wear. Pulling out her phone, she paused as she tried to find an eloquent way to ask what to wear. Finally she typed,  
 _Hey, what should I wear tonight_? She rolled her eyes and pressed send, wishing she could think of something witty to type.

Greg jumped as his cell phone beeped. He noticed it was a text from Morgan. He had a brief worry that she was calling to cancel before he read her text. He smiled to himself. _Dress to Impress_. was his reply.

Morgan smiled to herself as she read his text. She had the perfect outfit to wear. "I'll knock your socks off, Greg Sanders." She said as she opened the closet,  
rummaging for the perfect dress.

Six thirty came and Morgan was just giving herself yet another glance in the mirror as Greg rang the bell. Quickly, she darted out of the bedroom for the door, before slowing down trying not to seem too eager. Her butterflies were back. She'd dressed to impress, but was still a little worried that Greg had intended for this evening to be a fun night, and not a real date.

She opened the door to find a very handsome man grinning nervously at her. He'd put on a navy suit, printed shirt and the most adorable bow tie. His hair was gelled and spiked just the way she liked it. Wow, she thought. Outwardly, she smiled. "Hello handsome!" she said, blatently admiring him from head to toe in a slightly joking manner.

She looked back up at Greg's eyes and found them giving her the once over as well. She'd worn a bright blue dress, low cut with a ripple of extra fabric embellishing the low cut neckline, showing of a good amount of cleavage. The dress hugged every curve of the waist and hips. Greg's eyes followed down to view her shapely legs highlighted by a pair of silver high heels. He looked back up to Morgan's face, framed by beautiful blond curls. All rational thought processes seemed to have been shut down. His first thought was to reach out and pull her towards him in a long kiss. He mentally shook it away and tried to think of something, anything to say that didn't sound like he was a dirty old man with one thing on his mind.

Gathering his thoughts, he said the first clean thing that came to mind,"Morgan, you look even more beautiful than usual tonight."

This caught Morgan off guard as she looked up at Greg. There was not even a hint of a smile on his face as his eyes studied hers. She swallowed hard. With those words, all worries about what type of date this would be vanished. He wanted her and she wanted him. Braver now, she quickly put her hand on his upper arm and leaned up to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thank you" she said softly as she slowly lowered back down, lingering ever so slowly just past his own lips.

It was Greg's turn to swallow hard. He could feel the electricity coursing through his veins, energized by her touch on his arm. He wanted badly to lean down and take her into a kiss. But she had backed away and grabbed her purse. She turned to lock her front door, giving Greg a few seconds to cool himself down.

"I'm ready." Morgan said as she turned back to face him, blond waves bouncing around her shoulders.

He held out his elbow for her as she smiled and slipped her hand through.

***************  
Morgan and Greg had talked about work on the way over, to the restaurant, giving each of them a chance to cool down from the unexpected intensity of the attraction they had each felt when Greg had come to get her.

"I hope you like this place." said Greg as he turned his vehicle into the parking lot of a small restaurant. "I actually found it by accident years ago. I processed a robbery here and during the time I was processing, I had no less than three random people off the street ask me if it would be opened for dinner that night. They were really mad that their dinner reservations were in jeopardy. I decided to try it out and it is quite good."

Laughing, Morgan replied, "It looks nice. I'm sure it will have excellent food." She paused as she felt the flutters in her stomach return. How could a guy she has worked with for so long, managed to rattle her thoughts so much? Without thinking, she put her hands on her stomach in an attempt to calm her nerves.

Noticing her reaction, Greg was suddenly worried. "Are you feeling okay?"

For some reason, Morgan decided to tell the truth. "To be honest, Greg. I'm a bit nervous."

Greg let out a breath of air he didn't even know he was holding. He looked down at her and smiled. "So am I." Leaning forward a bit, he continued,"But I think I know how to calm our nerves a little bit."

Morgan moved closer to him, the unmistakable attraction pulling her towards him.

Greg searched Morgan's eyes, looking for any hint of hesitation and finding none.

Morgan couldn't take it anymore and closed the remaining distance between them. She kissed him softly on the lips. Greg returned the kiss, lifting his hand up to her head, running her golden curls in between his fingers. They kissed for another minute, lost in the feeling of finally revealing their true thoughts and desires to each other.

Greg broke away first. "If we want to keep our reservation, we should probably go in now." He whispered, backing away a little to make eye contact with Morgan.

"Right." replied Morgan softly and reluctantly. "It's probably a good idea." She would have preferred to stay in the car, necking like teenagers. But it was time to continue with the date.

They opened their car doors and Greg walked around to meet Morgan, reaching for her hand. She smiled to herself, enjoying the contact with him.

Once inside the door, there was another couple waiting to be seated in front of them. Morgan looked around at the quaint Italian restaurant. It was understated and subtly decorated. The lights were dim, with candles on each table. Morgan stood beside Greg, moving close enough so their shoulders touched. She reveled at the warmth. Greg reached his hand up to Morgan's back and lightly dragged his fingers down her spine. Oh my God. Morgan thought, desire bubbling up from her stomach. All she wanted to do was to turn around and take Greg right where he stood.

Greg looked down at Morgan, fingers still splayed on her lower back. She rewarded him with a big, bright smile. Unable to resist, he leaned down and softly kissed her forehead. Morgan's eyes closed as she enjoyed the sensation of his lips on her.

The hostess interrupted them with a soft clearing of her throat. The duo looked up and followed the hostess to their table.

Once seated, Greg immediately reached for her hand, loosely intertwining their fingers.

Morgan smiled softly at him, "I"m really happy to be here. Thanks for asking me to dinner."

Greg returned the smile. "I just wish I did it earlier. I was an idiot."

The next time Morgan noticed the time, Greg had just asked for the check. She'd gotten lost, enjoying her time with Greg. They had talked and laughed about not only work but shared stories about their childhood. Morgan's eyes were sparkling as she conversed with Greg. She'd barely noticed the patrons around them as they came and went. Every time he caressed her hand or shot her a cheeky grin, butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Why had she waited so long to go out with him? This was easily the best first date she'd ever been on. Heck, it was probably the best date she'd ever been on, period.

The waiter came back with a piece of paper instead of the check. "This was left for you two." He handed the piece of paper to Greg and disappeared.

Morgan and Greg shared quizzical glances as Greg unfolded the note. He read it silently, brow furrowing.

"Is it bad? What on earth can it say?" asked Morgan.

Greg paused. He hesitated telling Morgan. How would she take the note? Would it scare her? However, seeing no other way out, he handed it over to her and shrugged.

Morgan reached out and took the note, reading silently.

 _We were here celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary tonight when we noticed the two of you come in. You reminded us of ourselves when we were your age, young and in love. Your future possibilities are endless. The way you two were lost in your own world and only had eyes for each other is exactly what young love is. Please enjoy the meal on us and we wish you two as many years together as we have had._

Morgan was thankful for the low lighting in the restaurant. Embarrassment flooded her face. Were her feelings really that obvious that a total stranger was able to pick up on them? She looked down again, pretending to study the note.

Greg watched Morgan carefully. Was this note going to scare her off?

Morgan searched for something to say to fill the suddenly awkward silence. Greg sat there, just as silent.

Unable to find a way to dismiss the words on the letter, Morgan gave up. "Our feelings towards each other are that obvious?" She paused and then continued.  
"I guess other people saw what we were afraid to see in ourselves."

Greg leaned forward, face breaking into a big grin. "I've known for a while." He pointed his finger at Morgan, "Other people were not as sure."

"It's not my fault you couldn't take a hint!" Morgan leaned forward, arms resting on their table.

"Well, maybe you didn't hint very well." Greg mirrored Morgan's movements and eyed her with a smirk.

"Next time I go shopping for some sexy underwear, I'll make sure to tell you that I'm buying them just for you. Is that enough of a hint?" She arched her eyebrow as she said this.

"It's a start."

Morgan lowered her voice and leaned even closer to Greg. "Well, I went shopping yesterday before work and picked out something you may like. You wanna see?" She searched his face as he processed what she said.

"I got that hint. Shall we go?" Greg stood up, quickly throwing a tip on the table before coming around to lace his hands through Morgan's.


	7. Greg and Morgan Get Naked

**A/N- quick one I wrote this week, after being reminded of an old episode. Nothing too exciting.**

"Man, nasty weather out there." Said Greg, coming into the break room and sitting beside Morgan.

"Yeah, flood watches in some places. It could be a rough night. I hope there are no crime scenes to go to tonight." Said Morgan as she took a sip of hot coffee. "I got pretty wet just coming into work tonight. My umbrella was useless in this wind."

Just then Russell came in with some bad news. "Sorry you two. Hit and run out in Henderson. Crime scene is washing away rapidly as we speak. Can you guys go ASAP and see what you can salvage?"

"Sure thing Russell." Said Morgan standing up, with Greg following her lead.

The two left the breakroom and headed for the locker room. "Make sure you grab a change of clothes." Greg reminded Morgan. "I have a feeling it is going to be a wet night.

She smiled as she reached into her locker for her spare outfit.

The two were able to hop into the Denali under the dryness of the parking garage, but once into the street, the rain splattered sideways on the car as the windshield wipers struggled to keep up.

"This doesn't bode well for the evidence." Greg said as he drove slowly and carefully through the rain.

"We are going to be soaked through after this." Morgan replied, turning her head to look into the dark, rainy night.

******  
The crime scene came into view as Greg drove down the winding highway, with small gravel shoulders, metal barricades and long drops off on either side. Bright flood lights had been erected on the side of the road, in hopes of helping the first responders. Instead it helped illuminate the driving rain. Fire and ambulance had long gone, leaving only a few police cars and electric flares to show there had been an accident recently.

Once at the crime scene, Greg pulled off to the side of the road and parked. A soaking wet Dectetive Crawford, who had attempted to stay dry with a long raincoat, popped his head into the car. He filled them in on the scene. "Our working theory is that the Blue Chevy crossed the centre line, taking out the Volkswagon bug. The bug rolled right into the metal barrier. Driver was unresponsive when paramedics arrived, it doesn't look good. We attempted to set up a canopy, but the wind is too strong. Most of your evidence has probably washed its way down the mountain. So do what you can. Only larger pieces of vehicle remain."

Greg's left side was already damp from just opening the window and listening to Crawford. He rolled up the window and turned to Morgan.

"This is a mess. I'll take perimeter. Do you want to photograph evidence. Or what's left of it?"

"Sure." She stuck a hat on her head and pulled the hood of her long, police issued raincoat tight. Greg followed her lead.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

The two popped out of the vehicle and ran to the back to grab supplies.

The two worked efficiently and quickly, gathering as much evidence as was left. The driving rain, unrelentless. The rain pelted their faces, dripping down their faces, onto their chin and down, underneath their raincoats. Their galoshes were just as ineffective as keeping them dry.

Finally Greg made the call. He jogged over to Morgan. "Do you need anything else done?"

"No I'm done. Can we get out of here now?"

"Yeah. It's a long drive back, nearest restaurant is 30 min away. Way to long to stay in our wet clothes. Do you want to change in the van and I'll wait out here?" Greg said as water dripped of the peak of his hat.

"Then where are you going to change? I'm not getting out of that van once I'm in dry clothes." Morgan looked at him and shrugged. "Look, I'm freezing cold and starting to shiver. I'm sure you are too. I am in desperate need of coffee and hot soup. I'll change in the front seat and you change in the back seat. I trust there will be no peeking, Sanders?"

In spite of feeling cold and miserable, he gave her a great big grin. "I'll be good, I promise."

"Good, now lets get naked!" Morgan smirked at him and ran for the car. Greg followed, a step behind.

Once safely in the vehicle, Greg and Morgan took off their outwear. Morgan handing her rain coat and boots to Greg to put on the floor in the back seat. Greg reached into the rear of the car, fished around for a bag and handed Morgan her clothes.

"Thanks" She said, taking out a hair elastic and throwing her hair in a tight bun.

Greg watched her with amusement. Morgan caught his eye as she turned towards him.

"Okay, I'm getting changed now. Eyes over there until I say so." She pointed to the back of the SUV.

Greg made a pouty face but nodded and turned away from her.

The two of them proceeded to change out of their damp clothing, making sure to keep their eyes averted. Morgan slipped on her dry shirt, reveling in feeling now dry. Figuring Greg had finished before her, she turned around.

"Hey! No peeking!" called Greg as he was caught off guard. He had changed into a button down shirt and had just started buttoning his shirt when Morgan turned around.

"Sorry." Shrugged a clearly not sorry Morgan, getting a nice look at Greg's chest.

Greg just shook his head.

*************  
Back at the lab, the two were in the break room, enjoying a warm coffee and hot food. Sara walked in and smiled at the two as she grabbed a snack and sat down at the table with them.

"So, how wet did you get?" She asked, smirking.

"Soaked." Replied Greg, barely looking up from scarfing down his chili.

"To the bone." Morgan volunteered, similarly polishing off a bowl of soup.

"Did you drive home in your wet clothing?" She looked from one CSI to the other, watching them both devour their meals.

"Nope, we did the change in the car thing." Said Morgan, getting up to throw out her now empty soup bowl.

"Really?" Sara smirked, now quite interested. "That must have been interesting." She added, eyebrows raised, glancing from one to the other.

"Don't get all suspicious." Morgan scoffed, shaking her head at Sara. "We kept our eyes to ourselves."

"Mmm hmm," said Sara, clearly not believing her. "Or at least one of you kept your eyes to yourselves." She turned to give Greg a pointed look.

"I was a perfect gentleman. Unlike other people, I've never seen my co worker naked." He said giving Sara a pointed stare in return.

Sara burst out laughing.

"What?" Asked Morgan, clearly confused.

"I've seen Greg naked before." Sara said straight faced.

"You what? Really?" Morgan shrieked, laughing. "What's the story behind that?" She looked over at Greg who had sat back in his chair. He shrugged his shoulders.

"We were at a crime scene and found mold. We needed to be decontaminated immediately. Hazmat suits set up a tent outside the house and they pretty much marched us out of the house and into the tent. They stripped us and literally hosed us down.. There was no privacy or anything."

"Wow, that sounded pretty scary." Morgan said, leaning on the table, wrapped up in the story. "So, how did you end up seeing Greg naked?"

"Easy, I looked." She shrugged as she reached for her coffee cup.

Morgan laughed again and looked over at Greg.

"I would like to point out, once again that I did not peek. I was a perfect gentleman and kept my eyes closed. Once again, unlike my colleague." He reminded her with a grin.

"I didn't see anything" Morgan waved him off. "Nothing I wouldn't see at a pool."

"Oh, I saw it all." Volunteered Sara, unable to hold back a smirk.

"Well, next time I have the opportunity to see a female coworker naked, I'm taking it!" Greg stated forcefully, pointing at the two ladies.

D.B. Russell picked that time to wander into the break room. He stopped, a little confused. "I probably don't want to know, do I?"


	8. Beyond The Best Is Yet To Come I

**A/N-Just a fluff piece while waiting for wannabewriter07 to finish Holiday Hang Ups!**

Bells jangled as Morgan opened the door to the vintage record shop Greg had mentioned while they were on a recent case. She walked in and stopped, taking in the brightly coloured shop. Lining the walls were vintage posters of old school talent. Crooners, rock stars and of course Elvis Presley were all represented. Their posters, giving the store a perfect retro vibe. Morgan followed a small path, past the collections of record bins to the cash register.

She wanere over to the register and waited while a handsome man finished a conversation with a customer over the phone.

"Sorry, about that. With the Hipster culture, we've been swamped lately. What can I help you with?" Said the man behind the counter.

Morgan smiled back. "My name is Morgan Brody. I ordered a Sinatra record the other day and you called and said it was ready for pick up."

"Sure, let me duck down and take a look." The man dropped below the counter hunting through a small drawer. Morgan could only see the top of his head. "This is a great record, is it for yourself?" He asked, popping up with the record and placing it on the counter for Morgan to view.

"It's actually for a colleague of mine. He had a bit of a rough time lately and I thought it would cheer him up." She replied. Inwardly she hoped that Greg would see this gift as a gift towards something more. She knew she wanted more with him, but she wasn't sure if Greg was still into her or not. She hoped this would be a hint for him.

"Wow, that's a great gift for a colleague. What kind of work do you do that's so rough?" Asked the cashier. Morgan got a look at his name tag, which read Tom.

"Law Enforcement. We're CSI's." Morgan explained.

"CSI's eh?" Said Tom, now giving his full attention to Morgan. He'd stopped wrapping up the album and turned to face her. "I have a buddy who's a-" Tom's eyes widened all of a sudden and he laughed with recognition. "Oh My, you're THE Morgan." He said with excitement.

"Yes?" she replied quizzically.

"Is there any chance this is for Greg Sanders?" Tom smiled as he returned to wrapping the album and carefully putting it in a bag.

Surprised, Morgan nodded her head. "Your buddy is Greg?" she guessed.

"Yeah, we've been friends for a long time now. We were such the party animals back in our 20's." Morgan could see Tom mentally replaying some great night as he looked in the distance. "We were pretty wild. We loved music. We hit up all the clubs and bars and saw as many acts as possible. Those were the days." Tom nodded his head wistfully. "I haven't seen much of him lately though. He still pops in every once in a while after his shift and we talk music. I got married and had a couple of kids, so our embarrassing stories kind of tapered off."

"Stories? Embarrassing ones? I really need to hear something! I'd love to go back to the crime lab with something." Morgan clasped her hands in delight. "You've got to give me something."

"Alright, just one. But it involves you." Tom took the credit card Morgan handed him. "And he is going to kill me when he finds out I told you." He winked, but continued his story. " So a little while ago, we went out for beers one night. Greg couldn't stop talking about this new girl at work. He said they had a new CSI, Morgan, that had transferred from San Diego. Then, he said, "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on." Of course we teased him because, to Greg, every woman is beautiful. But he got really serious insisted that he meant it this time. So whenever we'd have the chance, We'd ask him if he'd asked "the most beautiful woman in the world" out yet. We hounded him to ask you out. He finally admitted that it was the Sheriff of Las Vegas' daughter and couldn't do it. So I guess that was you. He never did ask you out, did he?"

Morgan shook her head and smiled ruefully.

"Well, with this album, don't be surprised if he finally works up the nerve. It's quite a generous gift for a colleague." Tom handed back Morgan's credit card and handed her a bag with the album inside it. "He'll be back to admiring you in no time."

"Thanks" Morgan replied. "If I need to hear any more embarrassing Greg stories, I will certainly come back."

Tom waved as Morgan exited the store, beaming.

In the days after giving Greg his gift, he seemed to be back to his usual, chipper self but Morgan hadn't had time to speak with him. They were working different cases and whenever Morgan was around the lab, it seemed Greg was out at a crime scene. He'd texted her that he'd listened to the entire album and thanked her again, but they hadn't even had a conversation that was more than three words. Each time they saw each other, it seemed to be a quick hello was all they had time for.

Finally, the two were sent on a case together. Morgan generously agreed to let Greg drive as so she could think of something to say. It was Greg who spoke first. "Thanks again for the Sinatra record. That was really thoughtful." He said it without taking his eyes off the road.

Morgan smiled, it was time to have some fun. "Was it the most beautiful thing you'd ever laid eyes on?" She said with a cheeky grin.

"Shit" said Greg, laying his head back on the seat's headrest. "You went to Vintage Vinyl and I see you met Tom. What other embarrassing things did he tell you?"

Morgan laughed again. "If you think I'm going to spill everything at once, you're crazy."

He felt very vulnerable all of a sudden. Greg knew he'd be popping in to visit Tom very soon. He'd mentioned a lot about Morgan to Tom and his buddies. The guys had teased him, laughing at his reluctance to ask her out. He'd never been shy about asking out women before, but Morgan was different. There was a lot more at stake if she said either yes or no. He preferred to admire her from afar. Greg needed to know how much Tom had said to Morgan.

Morgan looked over and saw how embarrassed Greg looked. "Everything he told me was very sweet." She decided to go for it. "Very sweet." She added softly, a soft grin forming on her lips.

Surprised Greg looked over and caught her expression. "Well, would you like to come over and listen to the record with me sometime?

"Sure, I'll bring the wine."

"Saturday?"

"Saturday."

Greg looked back at the road. Was it really that easy to ask her out? He'd been sweating about it for a long time.

Saturday night found Morgan sitting on Greg's leather couch, glass of wine in one hand and a Sinatra record providing background noise. They'd ordered in pizza and Greg had shown her his vast record collection. He had made her feel at ease, that and a couple of glasses of wine. After the pizza, they'd moved over to Greg's couch after Greg had put on the record Morgan had given her. Greg was sitting beside her, angled in her direction. He was telling her a story of his college days. Morgan smiled as she watched his eyes sparkle and face break out into a grin as he recounted the tale of a long, drunken walk home from a bar that ended in a stranger's kitchen.

As he told his tale, talking animatedly, Morgan listened but couldn't keep her eyes off of his face. There was just something about him that drew her to him. He challenged her at work, encouraging her to learn more and he never treated her as a dumb blond. Yet, he looked out for her and made it obvious he cared for her. Maybe it was the wine, but she started thinking it was time to do more than chat. Subtly, she maneuvered herself a bit closer to Greg, who was still caught up in his story, unaware of the very thing he'd been wanting was about to occur. Morgan put her wine glass down. She studied his face for a second and then leaned forward and gave Greg a soft kiss on the lips. Greg didn't hesitate. He returned the kiss just as softly.

They pulled apart slowly, only far enough to look each other in the eye. Morgan's soft smile, met Greg's big grin. She put her hand on his shoulder, wanting more contact and kissed him again. Greg reached for her waist as he savoured the taste of the wine, still on her tongue. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. Morgan's hands made her way up the back of his neck, one hand combing through his hair. Wanting to be closer still, Morgan moved to straddle Greg. With that move, Greg breathed her name quietly as she broke the kiss. She gave him one more smile before closing her mouth on his once more.

TBC..


	9. Behind the Best is Yet to Come II

Neither of them had realized the extent of their feelings towards each other until that night when things exploded. Following their intense first date, Morgan and Greg had decided to keep the fact they were dating to themselves. Greg had explained to Morgan some of the issues that Sara and Grissom had experienced from higher up in management. Both of them had decide to keep things quiet and only tell people on a need to know basis.

Unfortunately, one of those people who had to be informed sooner, rather than later was Morgan's father, the Sheriff of Las Vegas, Conrad Ecklie. After a few months of dating Morgan decided it was time. Via text, she asked her dad to meet her at the local coffee shop. She said she had news for him.

Morgan and Greg were already there, sipping coffee. Both worried about telling her father. Morgan was worried about introducing her father to her new boyfriend. Her dad was never really happy to hear about her love life and could be a little overprotective at times. She didn't know he'd react when he found out her boyfriend was Greg.

Greg was just worried about being able to keep his job.

Morgan spotted her father walking by the shop window. "Here's my Dad." She paused to grab Greg's arm. "Now remember, let me tell him. I think it'll come better from me." Greg just nodded and withdrew his arm from Morgan before her dad saw him. He put his arms under the table, away from Morgan's reach.

She sighed as Greg moved his chair a few more inches away from hers. "He's not going to kill you." She rolled her eyes and elbowed Greg, playfully.

"Maybe not here, but he's got a lot of friends higher up in Law Enforcement. They'd never find my body." Greg gave her a half smile to let her know he was kidding, sort of.

Morgan plastered on a fake smile as her father walked into the coffee shop. She caught his eye and waved him over. Suddenly, she felt even more nervous. Ecklie walked over to their table, taking a seat across from the two of them. "Good afternoon, Morgan" He turned his eyes to Greg. "Sanders" he said with acknowledgement.

"Hi, Dad." Morgan squeaked, her voice a little higher than normal. "Here's your coffee."

"Thanks Morgan." Said Ecklie as he pulled out the chair and sat down. Never a man to waste time or beat aorund the bush, he asked, "So what's your big news, M?" He said, eyeing Greg.

Unable to read the expression on Ecklie's face, Greg turned to look at Morgan who seemed to be suddenly at a loss for words.

"Well, Dad." She said, taking a deep breath. "It's like this." she gestured to Greg, "Greg, uh..." Morgan started to sweat. New fears started to creep into her brain. She could handle her dad, but what if he broke up the team because the two of them were dating? She was the new person in the lab, Greg had been around for years. It was going to be her that gets the blame. She started to chicken out.

Greg saw Morgan freeze and decided to help her out. "What Morgan is trying to say, is-"  
"No, Greg, I've got this." Interrupted Morgan, turning to look at Greg, instead of her dad."Look, um."

Conrad Ecklie had lost his patience with her. "What on earth is the big deal here?" His eyes moved from one face to the other- both looking down at the table. Suddenly a thought dawned on him. "Good lord, Morgan. Are you pregnant?" Ecklie's eyes bulged as he cast his eyes towards Greg. The two jumped in their seats. Judging by the twin looks of horror on their faces, Ecklie realized he may have been mistaken.

"Dad!" Morgan exclaimed in a quiet but firm voice, "I am not pregnant. Where did you get that idea from? Good Lord!" She shook her head and continued. " I just thought you should know that Greg and I are dating. That's all." She sat back in her chair, relieved she had managed to tell him. She sneaked a peek at Greg, who was closely examining his coffee cup. Great, she thought, Now he may be even more traumatized.

Conrad sat back in his chair, taking a sip of coffee, thoroughly enjoying the look of fear still etched on Greg's face.

"Sorry for jumping to conclusions, you two. But I've known for ages that you have been dating each other." He shrugged one shoulder and put his coffee cup back on the table.

"Ages?" Replied Morgan, suddenly perplexed. "How long have you known for?"

"Oh, at least six months, if not longer. I figured it out on my own."

Morgan gave a small laugh. "Dad, we've only been dating a couple of months."

"Oh," Eclkie smiled "Well, maybe I've been in the office so long, my investigative skills are a little rusty. I can't believe you were that afraid to tell me, M."  
He reached over and put his hand on top of Morgan's. With a smile, he continued. "I've known Greg a long time. He's a good guy and I'm sure he'll treat you right." Turning towards Greg, all traces of a smile gone,"Isn't that right, Sanders?" he added.

"Yessir." Replied Greg, finally finding his voice.

* * *

They had managed to keep things quiet work for almost one year. Morgan was certain that some people had suspicions, but nobody had dared ask her directly if the two were dating. However, it would be Greg who gave up their secret.

"Hey, Sara, Russell said you needed some help?" Greg walked into the room and took a look at the table full of mounds of broken plastic, glass, wires and other electronic pieces. Sara had just finished sorting the evidence into separate piles in a grid pattern, leaving around five piles of broken electronics neatly laid out on the table.

She looked up and grinned. "Are you good at jigsaw puzzles? I have a fight in a bedroom where pretty much everything in the room was smashed into a million pieces. One of these pieces of electronics may be a murder weapon. Right now I'm just trying to figure out what electronic they used to be. The TV was easy." She pointed to the largest pile on the far corner of her work space.

"Well, lets see what you have." Greg walked over to the closest pile of broken material. He picked up a couple of shards of plastic, examining them through a small handheld magnifying glass. He put those down and picked up a larger piece. This one had a part of a logo on the side of the piece. Recognition dawned on Greg. He had seen this before. He held up the logo to show Sara. "I recognize this logo. It's an alarm clock. Morgan has the same one. It plays different nature sounds for an alarm."

Sara took the plastic piece from Greg's hand, pretending to examine it. "Greg," she said slowly, still investigating her piece. "How do you know what alarm clock Morgan has? Aren't alarm clocks normally found in someone's bedroom?"

Greg froze. He tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing was forming in his brain. Sara took his silence as an admission that Greg and Morgan were more than just friends.

"How long has this been going on?" She asked, turning to him and giving him a wide smirk.

Greg knew Sara could be discrete. "It's been about a year." Greg grinned sheepishly.

Sara stopped looking at the evidence in front of her and turned to face Greg. "Every once in a while I'd suspect something was going on between the two of you, but I could never prove it. Congratulations, I'm happy for you. You deserve it." She smiled and gave him a pat on the arm.

"Thanks, Sara. Things have been going good lately and we've just moved in together. We both assume it won't be long before we're found out. I just didn't think it'd be me spilling the beans." Greg shook his head. Glancing out into the hallway, he took a few steps back towards the entrance of the room. He reached for the door and closed it. "But now that you know, I need help with something and I think you will be the perfect person to help me."

Sara shrugged, "With what, exactly?"

"Well, I need help picking out an engagement ring. I went by myself a couple of weeks ago and got overwhelmed. I need a woman's help."

Sara's face broke out into a huge grin. "Oh Greg!" She reached up and pulled Greg into a big hug. "Of course I will. That's wonderful."

At that moment, Morgan happened to be walking by. She glanced into the room, just in time to see Greg and Sara embrace in a hug. Curiosity got the better of her. She opened the door and walked in, just as Greg and Sara were breaking apart.

"Am I interrupting anything?" She asked, slight smile on her face as she stood in the doorway.

Greg waved her over to join them at the table. She joined the two and looked at Greg's sheepish face and Sara's grinning face. Turning to face Greg, she raised her eyebrow at him. It was an unspoken question and Greg could read her mind. "Yeah, I let it slip." He confessed.

Morgan swatted his arm and laughed. "I always knew you'd slip up. I'm just surprised you lasted that long."

"I am surprised too." Greg confessed. "I have always wanted everyone to know that I'm dating the most wonderful woman in the world."  
Morgan smiled sweetly at Greg. Sara rolled her eyes.

* * *

Greg tried to think of the best way to propose to Morgan. He thought of a sunset hike at Red Rock Canyon, but he wasn't a hiker, that'd tip her off too easily. His next idea was a romantic dinner. Sara nixed that idea, it was too cliche she said. The Las Vegas strip at night held possibilities, but Greg dismissed it as too touristy. Finally one night, they'd decided to stay in and watch a movie. He even let her pick a romantic comedy. Just before sitting down for the movie, he'd put the ring in his pocket waiting for the perfect time.

As the end credits rolled, Morgan who was cuddled up to Greg, stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his chest. "That was a sweet movie. Love at first sight". Greg, who had just barely tolerated the movie, grinned and looked down at Morgan.

"I"m glad you liked it. Although it's only November and it was a Christmas movie." He said, giving her a kiss on the top of her head.

"December 1st is tomorrow. Besides, It was a love story set at Christmas time. You like Christmas and this year you have me to help you buy your Christmas gifts. Well for everyone but your work secret Santa gift." Morgan shifted onto her knees, rising up to meet his eyes. "Unless you'll tell me who your secret Santa is?" She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "I'll tell you mine."

Finding an opening, Greg decided to go for it. "Well, I have already purchased my secret Santa gift for the office."

"Greg," said a clearly astonished Morgan. "We drew names two days ago. It's not even December yet. How did you have time to buy one?"

"Morgan. Sometimes the perfect gift is obvious." He withdrew his arm from the back of the couch and took both of her hands in his. Looking into her eyes, he continued speaking. "You have been the best gift I could have ever gotten. You make me so happy." He paused and smiled at Morgan.

Morgan, completely unaware what was coming, leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. "Have you been taking notes from the romantic comedy, Sanders?", she said, still leaning close.

Greg took his hand from hers and ran his thumb down her cheek, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. "Morgan, I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" He fished the ring out from his pocket and held it up. Morgan leaned back, shocked. Sure enough, he was holding a simple and beautiful diamond ring.

Morgan broke into a wide grin. "Oh, Greg! Of course I will." She leaned forward and hugged him tightly.

* * *

The annual CSI night shift Secret Santa party was in full swing. Alcohol was flowing, people were talking and laughing. Greg was sitting on a chair, talking to Nick and occasionally glancing at his fiancee sitting across the room. She was smiling and laughing with Doc Robbins and David. She had put her engagement ring on just before the party. So far no one had noticed. Sitting beside Greg, empty shot glass in hand, Finn was arguing with Hodges over who each person's secret Santa had been.

"Hey, Greg, were you Morgan's secret Santa?" she elbowed Greg in the stomach.

"Yeah." Replied Greg turning towards her.

"Weren't you Morgan's Secret Santa last year too?" Hodges demanded to know.

"Yep." Replied Greg with a smile.

"How'd you get her twice? Who'd you bribe?" Hodges said, giving Greg a stern look.

"Aw, let it go Hodges." Smiled Finn, accepting another shot from a Nick who was handing out shots. "He loves her." Finn said 'loves' teasingly, looking at Greg to gauge his reaction.

"Well, we should have a rule that nobody gets the same person two years in a row." Scoffed Hodges, also accepting a shot from Nick. "What'd you get her this year?"

"It was the Nail Polish, silly!" said Finn loudly. Greg looked over at Morgan. She had heard Finn's voice and knew it was getting closer to reveal time.

"Nope." Said Greg simply. "That wasn't her secret Santa gift."

"Well what was it?" Finn yelled across the room to Morgan. "What'd Greg get you for your gift this year?"

Morgan smiled and held up her left hand, engagement ring sparkling. At first Finn looked confused, but slowly she became aware of what Morgan was showing her. Finn gasped, clambering closer for a better look. "Is that what I think it is? Wait, you and Greg? You guys are engaged? When did this happen? Aww, congratulations!" She enveloped Morgan in a boozy hug.

Others in the area heard Finn's exclamation and turned to watch Morgan and Finn. They saw Greg walk over to the two and bring his arm around Morgan. He gave her a kiss on the top of her head, confirming Finn's outburst.

"Wait, what?" Asked Hodges, dumbfounded. "You're engaged? Since when?" His head swiveled from Morgan to Greg and back.

"Well, son of a gun." Drawled Nick.

"Wait, Greg and Morgan are dating?" Asked Henry, thoroughly confused.


	10. Getting Smart

**A/N I don't own a smart car, nor have any particular affinity towards them. Somehow this story seemed to turn out like a paid product placement for them.**

"It's all yours!" Said D.B Russell, patting Greg on the back. "Just keep it clean. It goes back to the car rental agency in twenty four hours."

Greg looked at the lime green Smart Car in front of him. The garage suddenly seemed so much bigger with a tiny car parked in the middle of it

Greg looked over at his supervisor. Despite telling Greg the car was his for processing, Russell hadn't left. He'd walked over to the tiny car and peered inside the window.

"The Missus always thought these cars were cute. I was told to forget it. There is no way I'd fit into one." Russell opened the driver's side door and folded his long body into the seat. Putting his hands on the steering wheel he gave a laugh.

"I fit!" He exclaimed excitedly. "This is really neat!" D.B. looked around the interior of the car. "There's even room for my kit." He pointed into the small space in the back that passed for a trunk.

Greg laughed as he watched his supervisor unfurl himself out of the car and shut the door. "I can't see myself cruising around Vegas in one of these. I'll stick to my car thanks."

D.B. laughed again. "Okay, fine, but you get to enjoy the car today. "

Just then Morgan walked into the garage. Her long hair was swishing behind her, tied up in a high pony tail. Her baggy blue police overalls overalls were just a little too big on her tiny frame. _She looks so adorable_. Thought Greg as she walked over to the two men. Greg couldn't help but grin as she stopped in front of them.

"Nice car, Greg." she said, jerking her head in the direction of the small car. "What did you need my help for, Russell?" She said, turning her attention back to her supervisor.

"Morgan, how tall are you? Five feet four?" Asked Russell.

"I am exactly five foot four." She replied, 'Why is it so important I help out Greg process the tiny smart car? I'm sure Greg can handle such a little car." She shot a quizzical look at Greg who was watching her speak. He shrugged and smiled, hoping she hadn't realized he'd stopped listening to Russell and was admiring Morgan in her jumpsuit.

"This isn't the actual car the murder took place in. We rented this little cutie. Here's the basics." D. B. started to fill Morgan in on the particulars of the case. "The victim, James Devlin was shot to death in the front seat of his smart car up at a local lovers lane. His fiance, Trina Masters, said he attacked her and pulled out a gun. She shot him in self defense. That's what she says, but the body was found in the front seat, and the bullet went out the little window back here."

D.B. walked over to the car and pointed to the small rear window on the driver's side of the car. "Basically I need the two of you to go over the case files and climb around in the car to figure out if she's telling the truth. The way the body was found, there's something fishy about it."

"Sounds interesting." Replied Morgan. "I'm sure Greg and I can figure it out." It sounded like a good case, but she was just happy to get a chance to work with Greg.

"There's one more thing..." mused D.B. trying to figure out a way to tell Morgan tactfully.

"What?" She looked at D.B and then at Greg. Neither would look her in the eye. Greg had suddenly found the case file in his hand fascinating. "What?" she said again.

"The thing is, according to Trina, they were starting to get intimate when Devlin was shot."

"What!" Exclaimed Morgan. "You want Greg and I to reenact _that_?" Morgan's eyes were wide and she screeched the last sentence.

Russell laughed. Greg continued to examine the case file very closely. As much as he'd fantasized about _that_ with her, he wanted the real thing. He did not want to be tortured by being so close to Morgan and keeping professional.

"I'm just saying that I hope you didn't eat tuna for lunch. You may be getting a little close, crawling around the car together." He replied as he inched his way out the door. "You two have fun and keep it clean!" Russell chuckled to himself as he hastily left the garage. He had hesitated in asking Morgan to help Greg. It was obvious the two had feelings for each other and he was voluntarily putting them in close quarters with a sexual component. The problem was, the victim was built similar to Greg and the suspect was petite, like Morgan. Standard dummies used as body doubles would be useless in a case like this. _Yeah, that's why_. Thought Russell as he made his way back to the office. _If it all works out, maybe I'll get an invite to their wedding_.

Back in the garage, an uncomfortable Morgan studied the case file she'd taken from Greg's hand. He'd busied himself with putting stickers throughout the car with great care. The red sticker at the back of the driver's side window was where the bullet shattered the window. The black piece of tape was where the gun was found and the white tape outline highlighted where James Devlin lost his life.

 _Okay, Brody._ Said Morgan, giving herself a pep talk. _There is no actual sex involved. You have worked with Greg on many cases that involved sex. This is not a big deal._ Morgan wiped her sweaty palms on her jumpsuit. She looked back at the tiny car, the interior had seemed to get smaller since D.B. had left. _I'm supposed to crawl inside that car and spend the next few hours in close quarters with the guy I've got a massive crush on?_

She walked over to the nearby table and put the file down. She looked up and saw Greg peering over at her.

"So, ah," said Greg, trying to figure out what to say. "Do you want to get in the car and see what we can find?"

Trying to appear professional and nonchalant, Morgan replied, "Sure, we can start there." She moved over to the passenger car door and sat inside. Greg followed and sat down on the driver's side.

"These are bigger than I thought." Noticed Morgan as she looked around the interior of the car for the first time. "I guess you could have-" She cut herself off, suddenly not wanting to say the word 'sex', sitting so closely to Greg. "So," she changed topic quickly. "These two had an argument while fooling around and he just pulled out a gun?"

Greg turned to face Morgan. "The two had a volatile relationship. He's been arrested for domestic violence, bar room brawl and even drug trafficking." He shrugged and then looked out the front window before continuing. "Maybe their arguing was a turn on and it went too far?"

"You may be on to something. Make up sex is nothing new, but in this job,with the amount of kinky stuff I've been exposed to, that's vanilla."

Greg laughed. "You should have been around when we investigated a death at a plushie convention."

"What is a-?" Morgan turned her body to face Greg. "Pushie convention?"

"How about I tell you about it over breakfast? It's quite the story." He smiled down at her.

"So, back to rough sex in the car?" Morgan laughed nervously, not quite meeting his eyes. Suddenly she noticed how close they were.

"Ready to role play?" Greg smiled, trying not to betray how nervous he was. He offered her his hand.

Slowly she reached for it. Just holding his hand sent a tingling sensation through her. _I'm in deep trouble_ now. She thought. _Time to get into position._ She reached out with her other hand and grabbed the driver's door handle as she moved to straddle him, mimicking the position Trina Masters had said was in when she'd grabbed the gun.

Morgan lowered herself down, so she was sitting on his lap. She took an unsteady breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat and the electricity that raced through her body.

Greg's reaction was similar. As much as he tried to think of cars and sports and any other distraction he'd used as a teenager, the woman he loved was sitting a mere inches from him, _on his lap!_ He resisted the urge to reach out and cup her cheek, bringing her close to him. Instead, he inhaled, taking in the scent of her perfume. Big mistake. He looked up at Morgan. Her beautiful pink lips were slightly parted, begging him to lean in for a kiss. Here eyes were dark with lust. It was obvious she was just as turned on as he was.

Morgan swallowed as the space between the two of them seemed to shrink even more. Greg still had a hold of her left hand, but the touch wasn't enough anymore. She wanted more. All rational thought left her brain. She was no longer thinking about the case, she was thinking about the sweet, caring guy situated a mere inches from her. The man who had been there for her so many times. She'd never told him outright just how much he meant to her, but in the next few seconds she was going to show him.

"Morgan?" Greg whispered her name. She could feel his breath tickle her lips and involuntarily, she licked them.

"Yeah?" She replied, as she searched Greg's chocolate brown eyes for permission.

A hint of a smile formed on his face as she moved closer and planted a soft kiss on Greg's lips. Seizing the opportunity, he returned the kiss. The kiss was slow and lingering and everything each had imagined it would be. Morgan slowly moved her hands up Greg's chest, clasping them behind his neck. Similarly, Greg ran his hands over Morgan's hips, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. They enjoyed the next minute, finally giving in to what had been building over the past year.

Slowly the two broke away. They stayed close, each smiling as they gazed at each other.

"So," said Greg slowly. "Maybe instead of breakfast, we can go out for dinner?"

"I'd love that." She kissed him slowly once more and then broke away. "Shall we figure this puzzle out now?"

"Sure." Said Greg in a business like manner. "Lets follow the trajectory path of the bullet and see where it goes."

Morgan smiled and nodded.


	11. Greg's Parents

A/N- this is nothing but fluff and a bit of smut at the end. No real plot here! Thanks for reading!

After a long, tedious shift of lab work, Greg and Morgan were eager to get out of the lab and head home. The two of them walked down the stairs and into the parking garage, lost in the friendly banter they had so long ago perfected.

"You owe me breakfast for slogging though that disgusting mystery garbage can." Said Morgan, elbowing Greg. "Don't try to get out of it."

"I'm not trying to get out of it. I just thought that you may not be hungry after losing 'rock, paper, scissors' and having to dig through the slop and rotting food in there." Teased Greg, raising his eyebrow at her.

Morgan smiled up at Greg. They kept eye contact a little longer than normal. Greg looked away, continuing to smile. Secretly, he was thrilled Morgan had agreed to go out to breakfast with him. He'd take whatever time he could get with her. He was crazy about her, but for many reasons, too afraid to do something about it.

Greg was about to say something else, when he noticed a nicely dressed older man and woman walking towards him. The man was tall, thin and looked like an older version of himself. Shocked, he exclaimed "Mom, Dad. What are you doing here?" as he walked up to the pair and gave his mom a hug.

Morgan hung back a step. This was a surprise. Greg had not mentioned anything about his parents coming for a visit, but she was secretly very intrigued to meet Greg's parents. He didn't say much about his folks, but when he did, he spoke highly of them. However, she realized that the unexpected arrival of his parents meant that she wouldn't be going out for breakfast with Greg. Quickly she mulled it over and decided It was a trade off that she was willing to make to meet his parents.

Morgan watched as Greg was released from his mom's bear hug and greeted his father with a handshake. Greg's mom spoke first. "We got a last minute deal to come here for a few days and thought we'd surprise you. We got in late last night and figured we'd ask if you wanted to come for brunch with us."

Morgan studied Mrs. Sanders. She was well dressed, with a pair of beige dress Capri pants and a red tank top, embellished with small jewels sewn along the collar. Her jewelry was subdued and she wore just a touch of make up. Greg's mother turned her attention to Morgan, studying the young CSI for a second before Greg noticed and introduced Morgan to his parents. He mentally reviewed his past conversations with his parents. Did he say anything incriminating about his feelings towards Morgan? His mom, a very perceptive woman, had asked him if he had feelings for Morgan once. He'd denied it, but doubted his mom had believed that denial. Even though he was fast approaching forty, he did not want to be embarrassed by his parents.

"Oh, Greg has mentioned you. He speaks very highly of you." was all Mrs. Sanders said to Greg's relief.

"Well, he's a great CSI and very knowledgeable. I really enjoy working with him. In fact, we just spent the night working on a case and Greg was the one who figured out who was responsible." Morgan smiled at Greg and gave his bicep a squeeze.

"But it was your trash can soup that gave me the clue." Greg smiled back, unable to stop the tips of his ears from turning red.

"Well, it was a good time!" laughed Morgan. "Have a good brunch with your folks. But I'm not letting you forget that you still owe me a breakfast." She turned to say goodbye to Greg's parents. Mrs. Sanders quickly figured out they'd interrupted some sort of plan the two had. Knowing how her son felt about this young blond CSI before her, she decided to invite her to breakfast with them. It would be interesting to see if there were any sparks between the two. It may also help move things along. Like most mothers of grown kids, she was itching for grand kids.

"Wait," called Mrs. Sanders. "We don't want to intrude on any plans you two had. Morgan, why don't we all go out together?"

Morgan looked at Greg who just shrugged. "Why not?" she said, "I'd love to hear stories of Greg when he was young. I'd appreciate some blackmail stories to keep stored in my brain." She winked at Greg and smiled.

The four hopped in Greg's SUV and headed for the CSI's regular diner. Mrs. Sanders had insisted Morgan sit up front with Greg so she could sit in the back with her husband and take in the sights. On the way to the diner, Mrs. Sanders filled Greg in on their decision to come to Las Vegas and where they had decided to stay.

Once in the diner parking lot, they all hopped out and started towards the entrance. Greg hung back a little, letting his parents go through the diner door first. Morgan noticed and slowed down to match his pace. "Are you okay with me being here?" she asked, "If you want to have a visit alone with them, I completely understand'

"No, I'm happy to spend time with you and my parents. I'm just surprised you wanted to come." They'd reached the entrance to the diner. :"Surprised, but happy." Greg opened up the door and motioned for Morgan to go in. She thanked him and walked past him. Greg stepped behind her, briefly putting his hand on her lower back as they walked into the diner. His touch sent shivers up Morgan's spine and unconsciously she stood a bit closer to him as the four of them waited to be seated.

It had turned out to be quite a nice breakfast, mused Greg later that evening as he sat in the break room sipping on a coffee before shift started. Greg found his mom on her best behaviour. She didn't share anything too awkward or embarrassing and Morgan filled the Sanders in on life in the crime lab with their son. After returning to the police headquarters to drop both Morgan and his parents at their cars, Greg had promised to meet up with his parents the next evening, after sleeping during the day. Tonight was their last shift of the week and his mom wanted to spend some time with her only child. His mom had been full of ideas on what to see and do on the famous Las Vegas Strip and Greg had no idea what he might end up doing on his night off with them.

Just then his cell phone buzzed. Expecting a text from Russell, he glanced at the phone, surprised that it was a text from his mother.

 _We had a great time at breakfast. I got four Cirque du Soleil tickets for tomorrow night. Thought you may want to bring Morgan so you're have someone your age to sit with, instead of you and two old fogies._

Greg read the text with surprise. That was presumptuous, getting a ticket for Morgan. After she'd driven off in the parking lot this morning, Mrs Sanders had turned to Greg and politely inquired about the state of Greg and Morgan's relationship. Greg told her that there was no relationship and his mom had let it go. Greg thought that would be the end of it. Evidently not. He couldn't decide whether to ask Morgan to go to the Cirque show or not. He could just lie to his mom and say she was working tonight. He knew she had the night off as well but, asking a woman to double date with his parents? As much as he longed to ask Morgan out on a real date, this was not the type of date he wanted to bring Morgan on, especially a first date.

While Greg was mulling over his decision, Morgan walked into the break room and immediately went for a coffee. He watched her choose a mug, pour the coffee and then finish it off to her liking before she came and sat down across from him.

"Hey," she smiled. "I had fun with your parents this morning. They're really fun."

Greg sighed, "Evidently they feel the same about you."

"What's so bad about that? " Morgan said in mock anger, putting one hand on her hip.

"Well, my mom texted me and she got us all tickets to a Cirque du Soleil show for tomorrow. By all, I mean you too. She asked me to invite you along so I'd have someone to go along and keep me company." Greg shrugged his shoulders. "She basically tried to arrange a play date for me."

Morgan was touched. She ignored Greg's joke." I'd love to go see a Cirque show with you- and your family." she added quickly. "You know, I've never really done the whole Las Vegas strip tourist thing. The only way I've seen a casino is if I've gone to process it as a crime scene."

Greg's eyebrows rose. "You've never gone to watch the Bellagio fountains, seen the interior of the Venetian or just walk the strip and people watch?"

"Not as an adult. Once I moved back here, I really had no reason to do that. I don't have many friends outside of work here and the very rare date I'd go on, the guy would try to surprise me with some 'local's only' place." Morgan smiled at Greg as she continued. "Maybe we can do some of the stuff you suggested tomorrow night?"

Before Greg could agree, Russell walked in, followed closely by the rest of the night shift and another night on the job had begun


	12. Greg's Parents II

The next evening, a nervous Greg parked in Morgan's driveway. He hopped out of the car thinking of the awkward situation he had put himself in. Here he was, finally on some sort of date with Morgan, yet his parents would be there. He still couldn't read Morgan very well. He didn't know if she felt the same way as him, or was just happy to go out for a night on the town. He knocked on the door, waiting as he heard her call out to him.

Morgan reached the door and opened it wide, giving Greg a good look at her. His breath caught in his throat. She was wearing impossibly high heels, an emerald green A-line dress with a boat neck. The dress hugged every curve and made Greg long to touch her. She'd curled her hair and it fell in soft waves around her face. Yet, she was completely oblivious to Greg's reaction. "I'm just going to switch purses, come on in." She gestured to the couch in the living room as she walked over to the coffee table that had miscellaneous items scattered over the top. She chose a few items to finish putting in her purse and then looked over at Greg. "Are you ready to go? I'm really excited about seeing Vegas from a different point of view."

Greg rose from the couch and followed her to the door. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she walked on those high heels to the door.

Morgan turned suddenly and caught Greg staring. Being a little flirty, she asked, "Like what you see?"

Greg smiled, but deflected the comment. "I just can't figure out how ladies walk on such high heels. But yes, I do like what I see." He came up beside her as she reached to get her keys out of a bowl beside the door.

"Ready?" She smiled up at him as she opened the door. He walked outside and waited for her to lock her door. When she put her keys in her purse, he offered his elbow for her to hold onto. "Don't want you to break an ankle before you see the great sights of Las Vegas." Said Greg.

Morgan laughed, as she gladly tucked her hand in his elbow. All too soon they reached his car. As he opened the car door for her, Morgan backed up to avoid being hit by the door. She backed solidly into Greg. Surprised, he put both hands on her hips to steady her. Instantly he regretted it. Heat rushed through his body and the urge to move his hands down the curve of her hips got stronger.

Morgan turned around to apologize, She opened her mouth to speak, but when she looked at Greg, she clearly saw the desire in his eyes. Neither of them moved, until the moment was broken by a car racing by. Greg blinked and backed up, while Morgan hopped into the passenger seat. Inwardly, Morgan felt happy that she had a clear indication that Greg still felt the way she'd suspected he'd felt for a while. But she was disappointed the moment was ruined.

The drive to the theater started out awkwardly, both unsure what to say. Finally Greg brought up their latest case and the awkwardness dissipated.  
Upon parking in the cavernous parking garage, Greg got out of his car and went over to make sure Morgan was able to climb out of the SUV in her heels without falling. He was rewarded with a big smile from her. She placed her hand on his upper arm to steady herself as she carefully climbed down. Once again, he offered her his elbow and she grabbed and held the crook of his hand as they made their way into the theater. They both ignored the fact that they were walking much closer than two colleagues should. The tension was building between the two and it was getting much harder to ignore.

They met his parents at the bar outside the theater. Greg bought a round of drinks as the four of them chatted.

"So Morgan," said Mrs. Sanders. "Are you a native of Las Vegas?"

"Born and raised until my teens. Then my parents got divorced. I moved to L.A. vowing never to set foot in Las Vegas again." She laughed. "But for some reason, I came back."

"Are you happy here?" Quizzed Mr. Sanders.

"I am. I am." Morgan said thoughtfully. "Things happen for a reason and I am pretty sure there are a few good reasons that keep me here." She snuck a look at Greg out of the corner of her eye. He was looking down at his beer, but he smiled into it as he took a sip, clearly getting her meaning.

The elder Sanders also understood Morgan's hidden message as they gave each other a knowing look. Mrs. Sanders knew that Greg was besotted with Morgan by the way he talked about her when describing the cases he was working on. She could always hear the smile in her son's voice whenever he mentioned her name. Up until her visit, she couldn't tell if Morgan had any feelings for her son. Now she was satisfied that she knew the answer to that question. Emboldened, she asked another probing question.

"You know Morgan, I do apologize. When I bought the tickets, it never occurred to me that you may be in a relationship with someone else and wouldn't be interested in coming with us. I really hope I did not intrude on other plans you may have made."

 _Subtle, Mom_. Thought Greg with an internal smile. He knew what his mom was doing, but he wasn't going stop her. His mom was dealing with a trained CSI. If Morgan wanted to deflect the conversation, she would have no problem redirecting the flow of conversation. However, he was hoping to hear Morgan's answer. As far as he knew, she hadn't been seeing anyone.

"My plans were laundry and grocery shopping tonight. It's pretty hard to date when you're practically married to your job."

"Yeah." Agreed Greg. "You'd think that living in Las Vegas where everything is open 24/7, you could find another night shift person to date. But it is harder than you'd think. Most people who work the night sift are cocktail waitresses, strippers and casino workers. I have dated a few of them, but they just don't connect with me."

"So true!' Morgan jumped in to agree. "I went on a date with a club manager a while back. He took me to a late dinner and then he wanted to bring me back to his club to enjoy the late show. He seemed like a good guy and I'm up for adventure. What he didn't tell me was that he managed a strip club and he tried to bring me front row to the 3 am college girl Wet T Shirt Contest. He was actually surprised when I told him it wasn't the kind of club I was interested in."

"What about you, Greg?" Asked his mother as she finished her drink. "You haven't mentioned dating anyone lately. Any stories?" She looked at her son with loving eyes. As a mom, she thought her son was the greatest catch, but after he went though a wild phase in his twenties, he really didn't mention going on dates much. She'd figured when he stopped dating so many different woman, he'd find one that he wanted to be with and settle down quickly. To her sadness, Mrs. Sanders found that Greg had seemed married to his work. Until Morgan started working for the crime lab, she was beginning to lose hope of Greg ever finding someone to share his life with.

Morgan glanced at Greg. She doubted he'd told his mom about his fling with Alison or his date with the serial killer. Greg paused for a few seconds. She could see him measuring his words, trying to find a happy medium between the truth and wanting his mom not to worry. "I've gone out for the odd beer after work or breakfast with a lovely woman on occasion." He said, "but nothing really has managed to come from it. Work just gets in the way."

Even though his parents didn't know he meant Morgan, her cheeks still flushed a little. She was hoping to blame it on the alcohol if anyone said anything. Just then, Mr. Sanders looked at his watch and announced that they'd probably want to head in the theater. The four of them rose from the bar, and headed off to join the people arriving for the Cirque show.

Greg had a hard time keeping his hand off of Morgan's lower back. As much as he told himself it was to keep her near him, he knew he just to be close to her in general. He didn't know if it was the alcoholic drink or the fact that something felt different about the two of them together tonight. But he really wanted to treat this night as a date and maybe tell her he'd like to take her out again. He just had to get up the courage to ask her.

The four of them sat in the theater, his parents and then Greg, followed by Morgan. When they sat down, Morgan realized that the woman in front of her had to be six feet tall. Despite the wonderful seating arrangement of the theater, she would have a slightly obstructed view. Instinctively, she moved her head closer to space in between the couple in front. Greg noticed. "I'd offer to switch seats with you, but the person in front of me is taller than the woman." He said with a shrug. "You can lean on me though, I won't bite." He winked at her. Inwardly he thought of his mom. If she had the power, he was sure she'd have arranged this seating issue, leaving Morgan to have to sit close to her son for the entire show. He chuckled to himself.


	13. Greg's Parents III

Greg didn't know how he managed to sit through an entire show with Morgan leaning against him. The scent of her made him want to lean down and kiss her but he managed to keep his eyes on the performance. He didn't actually see any of it because his mind wandered, thinking of less than platonic thoughts of her. He was wondering how he could make sure this night didn't end after the show. It would be 11 pm when the show ended, pretty late for most folks, but not night shift workers. He wondered if he could get up the nerve to convince her to go out for another drink with him.

As it so happened, his mom had the same idea. After the show, they all walked back to the bar and made small talk about the show. A few minutes into the conversation, Mrs. Sanders gave a small yawn. "You'll have to excuse me. I'm just not a night hawk like you two." She turned to look at her husband, who also looked a little sleepy. " I think we'd better call it a night. I don't want to ruin your fun though. Greg, why don't you take Morgan on a bit of a tour of the strip?"

Greg looked down at Morgan, seeking a reaction to that idea. She looked up at him and flashed him a bright smile that made his heart do a quick flutter. "That does sound like fun. Since I slept until four p.m. today, I'm not near ready to go home. I'd like to see firsthand what makes so many tourists come to Las Vegas."

The four of them said their goodbyes, Morgan thanking Mrs. Sanders profusely for inviting her. While the elder woman smiled back, Greg's father looked down at his son. Greg could read his thoughts perfectly. "Don't screw this up, Son" was practically etched on his face. When Greg gave his mom a hug goodnight, he could practically hear her humming the wedding march. He really hoped he'd imagined that last part.

Once his parents had waved their goodbyes and were safely in the elevator,leading them up to their hotel room, Greg turned to Morgan. "Where shall we start on our night on the strip?"

Morgan smiled and tucked her hand into Greg's arm. "Show me the lights!" she said smiling.

Thrilled with her touch, Greg smiled back. They made their way out from the casino maze, and onto the famous Las Vegas strip, finding themselves in front of the Venetian hotel exterior. "Wow, look at the detail in the gondolas!" Raved Morgan walking over to the fence and peered beyond, where replica gondolas floated in the man made canal. Greg followed along as she checked out the front area of the Venetian casino. He walked a step behind her, happy to check out Morgan's long legs without being caught, as Morgan played tourist.

They wandered around, Morgan taking in the detail work in the hotel. After a while, they headed further down the strip, passing happy couples, drunk bachelorette parties and seniors on their way to another slot machine. Morgan noticed that everyone seemed to have some sort of alcoholic beverage in their hand.

"Those look like some fantastic drinks that bachelorette party seems to have." Morgan commented, nodding her head towards four women who each had a foot long, neon coloured novelty drink in their hands, merrily sipping away and laughing uproariously.

"You know, it is pretty standard to have a drink in hand while strolling the strip. You need one too, Ms. Brody." Greg put his arm around her and and guided her to the nearby vendor selling them. "Which flavour will it be?"

"Strawberry." Morgan replied instantly. "Are you getting one too?" she teased, correctly figuring Greg would decline.

"I'm pretty much a beer guy." He replied, ordering a beer as well as Morgan's strawberry concoction. He handed Morgan her neon green cup. Intently, he watched her lips form around the straw and take a long sip. Suddenly he became jealous of that straw. He cleared his throat and looked away.

Soon Morgan and Greg came to a small outdoor clearing in between two casinos. A group had gathered near a small outdoor bar nestled at the rear of the clearing. A stage was set up, and a banner advertising Karaoke hung at the back of the stage. "Hey, Karaoke! Lets watch some people singing badly." Boldly, Morgan took Greg's hand and walked over to the small crowd that had gathered. Surprised but delighted, Greg followed Morgan and the two of them stood near the back of the crowd as the next performers took the stage.

As the familiar tune of a Beyonce song filled the air, Greg tossed his empty beer cup into a nearby garbage bin, coming back to stand behind Morgan . He looked up to watch a trio of inebriated young women clearly enjoying their time on stage. Greg was standing directly behind Morgan, unsure of what to do next. He really wanted to hold her hand again but was not brave enough to make a move. He subtly leaned towards Morgan, inhaling her vanilla scent. He realized it was a bad idea as soon as he'd done it. Now he really wasn't satisfied just standing behind her. Someone jostled him from behind and nudged Greg into Morgan. He reached out with his left hand and steadied himself using Morgan's waist. He left his hand there, frozen. Morgan just looked back and smiled, not at all concerned that his hand was on her. Taking a deep breath, he moved his other hand onto Morgan's right hip. His heart raced as he realized just how close he was to this beautiful woman.

Still enjoying her drink, Morgan looked over her shoulder at Greg. She was right, this evening had been leading to this. She wanted Greg to know it was okay to be so close to her. She flashed him a smile, giving him permission to stay near her. She leaned back a little, enjoying the feel of Greg's warm chest. Feeling a bit bolder, Greg slowly moved his hands to her stomach, then encircling his arms around her waist.

Morgan closed her eyes in response to Greg's touch. She smiled to herself and let herself think about her and Greg coming together. She knew they had chemistry, but with her heart hammering and butterflies in her stomach, she was a little taken aback with the weight of her feelings. There was no turning back now. Even if they both turned and walked their separate ways right now, there was no going back to just being colleagues. There was too much electricity in the air between them. She would never be able to be alone with him again, without thinking of what could have been. With her free hand, she rested it over Greg's, entwining their fingers together.

Meanwhile, Greg was in agony, and not from the butchered Beyonce song that was just ending. He ached to turn Morgan around and kiss her deeply, no matter who saw. It didn't help that Morgan had tilted her head back slightly, exposing the soft skin on her neck. He moved his head slowly towards Morgan's neck. He couldn't hold back anymore. He said a silent prayer that he hadn't misread the situation and was about to do what he had been dreaming about for years.

Before his lips could reach her skin, Morgan untwined her hand from his and suddenly turned around to face him. She didn't take a step back, leaving their faces only a couple of inches apart. She looked into his eyes, dark with desire. Without hesitation, she stood on her toes and kissed Greg deeply.

He was a little surprised at the intensity of the kiss, but happily threw himself into the kiss. He was finally living out a fantasy that seemed to be always just a little out of reach. He wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer as they continued to kiss.

The Karaoke microphone let out a squeal, startling both of them. They broke away from each other, but were still embraced in a hug. Greg looked into Morgan's eyes, trying to reassure himself that she didn't regret what they had just done. She looked up at him and whispered, "That was a long time coming, but worth the wait." She gave him a soft, slow kiss on the lips, driving Greg crazy with desire.

Just then the sounds of "'YMCA" filled the small space. "Hey, do you want to get out of here?" Asked Greg above the music.

"Absolutely." She replied. Abruptly Greg grabbed her hand and turned on his heels, leading her away from the Karaoke crowd. Morgan tried to keep up, but her high heels were no match for Greg's long stride. "Greg!" she called as Greg walked briskly down the strip sidewalk, unaware that one misstep from Morgan would have her on the ground.

He slowed and turned towards her. "Can we walk a little slower?" She said, pointing at her heels.

He laughed."Sorry about that. I guess I got a bit ahead of myself." He moved closer to her once again, putting his hands around her waist. "I guess I'm a little too excited."

Once again, she leaned up and kissed him. This kiss was softer and slower than the last one, however it only served to increase the desire in both of them. "Would you like a piggy back ride back to the car?" Asked Greg, breaking away. "I'm now regretting walking so far from where we parked."

Morgan swatted him on the arm and laughed. "I'll take that piggy back ride." He turned his back to her and Morgan hopped up, putting her arms around his neck. Enjoying the ride, she also decided to torment Greg. At first she started out slowly, kissing his neck and working up to nibbling his ear. Then she started whispering what she was going to do to him when they were finally alone.

"If you keep this up, we won't make it back." Greg warned, enjoying everything Morgan was whispering seductively in his ear.

They finally reached the parking garage and Greg set her down, pressing the button to call the elevator. He was panting slightly from exertion. Morgan moved towards him, putting her arms on his chest and moving them slowly upwards, until they wrapped around his neck. He reached down and kissed her again, marveling how he was finally able to give in to the fantasy that had been running through his mind for longer than he cared to admit. When the elevator came, they ducked into it, barely breaking apart. Once in the elevator, Morgan pushed him against the wall and smiled seductively at him. "So, are we going to my place or yours?" as she once again ran her hands slowly up his chest and then back down, lingering at his waist line.

"Yours is closer." He whispered into her neck as he trailed open mouthed kisses up and down her neck, waiting for the elevator to get to their floor.

"My house it is!" She exclaimed as the elevator stopped on their floor, announcing the arrival with a ding.

After the long drive, where Greg swore they hit every single red light between the strip and Morgan's place, Morgan and Greg both jumped out of the car. Greg followed behind Morgan, one hand resting on her lower back, once again sending shivers down her spine. She was amazed at what his touch could do to her. Morgan fumbled with opening her door while Greg ran his finger tips up and down her bare arms.

Once inside, they tumbled into the foyer, eager to be in each other's arms. Morgan led Greg over to the couch in her small living room. Just before she sat down, Greg gently grabbed her elbow. She turned to face him in surprise as he pulled her close.

Gazing down at her, he moved his hand up to run his finger down the side of her face. "I've felt this way about you for a long time. I can't have this just be a one time thing. I want to do this a lot." He whispered softly.

Morgan couldn't help but chuckle. She reached her hand up to her face and pulled Greg's hand down, kissing his fingers. "Greg Sanders, you are the man for me. I've known for a while now, but couldn't get up the nerve to tell you." She leaned in and kissed him once more.

Morgan gave Greg a slight shove and he sat down on the sofa, bringing her with him. He breathed her name quietly, as she pushed off his suit jacket, and slid her hands under his shirt, enjoying the feel of his warm skin beneath her hands.

Greg's skin was on fire as Morgan stroked up her hands up and down his chest once more. Unable to wait any longer, his hands went to the back of her dress, searching for the zipper. He pulled it down, as Morgan shrugged her arms out of the top. He broke away from the kiss to get a good look at Morgan, astride him. His gaze traveled from her red lips to the black, lacy bra. His hands followed his gaze as he brushed his hands up her sides, stopping when he got to the bra strap. Tentatively, he moved his thumbs under the strap, stroking her soft skin underneath.

Morgan leaned over to his ear and pleaded for him to touch her. She breathed a desperate, "Please!" as she nibbled on his earlobe and worked at the buttons his shirt. In one quick move, the bra was tossed aside and Morgan gasped with pleasure as he ran his hand over her breasts. He savored the touch and taste of her, Morgan's soft moans turning him on even more.

"I can't take it anymore, Greg." Abruptly she stood up, green dress falling to the floor. She stepped out of it and reached out her hand for Greg. Greg drank in the sight of her clad in only a pair of black lace panties and her impossibly high heels, messy blond curls framing her beautiful face.

"I've never been this turned on in my life." He said standing up and taking her hand. He followed her to the bedroom, unable to take his eyes off her perfect backside. He wanted the last of her garments off and he wanted to be on top of her.

Morgan helped Greg with his remaining clothes, taking time to kiss him intimately as the last of their clothes were removed. Lost in the moment, they were finally able to enjoy the touch, sensation and closeness that they had each had been wanting for so long.

Afterwards, they laid together on Morgan's bed, her head resting on his chest and arm around his waist. "I think I'd better write your mom a thank you note for her matchmaking." whispered Morgan.


	14. Merry Christmas

**A/N: Here's a Christmas story I wrote. I couldn't figure how to end it, so it just sat there. I finally figured out an ending. A usual, nothing but fluff.**

"So, have your folks arrived for Christmas yet?" Asked Morgan as she and Greg walked down the parking garage stairs to their cars. Both were grateful the long shift was finally over. Morgan was also glad she had been able to meet up with Greg in the locker room at the end of shift. She always enjoyed the light, friendly conversation that flowed between the two. Talking with Greg always made her smile.

"Yeah, they arrived, with my aunt as well." Greg said with a smile. "They're excited about spending Christmas and New Year's Eve in Las Vegas."

Morgan smiled as they reached her car. "Are you going to last nine days with them living with you?"

"I don't mind my folks or my aunt. I took Christmas day off to spend time with them, but I'm working the rest of their vacation. I don't think I could handle nine days of total family togetherness!" The duo laughed. "What about your Christmas plans? I hear you and Sara volunteered to work Christmas day."

"Yeah, night shift as usual. My mom and step dad are on a cruise and so is my father." She laughed when she realized it sounded that the three of them were on the same cruise ship. "Not the same cruise though. I don't think there is a boat big enough to handle those three if their paths crossed!"

"Hey listen," Greg changed the topic back to Christmas. "My mom has asked me to extend a Christmas night dinner invitation to you and Sara. She's making a traditional dinner and it'll be over in plenty of time for your shift to start." Greg carried on, rambling. " Sara is visiting her mom and can't make it. But you are more than welcome to have a great dinner with the Sanders clan." Greg was a little nervous about extending the invite to Morgan after Sara declined. Without Sara there, it would feel more intimate, like bringing his girlfriend to dinner. His parents already suspected he had a crush on his co-worker. He was hesitant to see what they'd do when they met her.

Morgan paused, thinking it over. She would love to spend more time with Greg, but to do it with three family members around? Although if she ever admitted her feelings to Greg and they started to date, she'd have to face them eventually. _What the hell?_ She thought, _It's better than what I had planned._

"You know what, Greg? I'd like that. Sitting home and making a meal for one and not even being able to have a glass of wine on Christmas doesn't sound that fun. Count me in." She nodded her head affirmatively.

* * *

Christmas night was unseasonably warm in Las Vegas and Morgan found herself on Greg's front porch, perspiring a little. She was unsure if it was nerves or the weather. Cautiously knocking on his door, she waited anxiously for Greg to answer.

He came to the door quickly, greeting her with a big smile. "Hello and Merry Christmas." He said, stepping back and inviting her in. He thought about giving her a peck on the cheek, thinking that it may be one of the very few times he could get away with kissing her. Unfortunately, the moment passed and Morgan started talking.

"I brought some wine and some sugar cookies." She said, handing both to Greg. "I made the cookies myself this afternoon. I felt a little more festive than I'd anticipated. So I thought I'd do something Christmassy." She smiled up at Greg, causing his heart to flutter. " I'm glad I'm not spending the evening alone. Thanks again for inviting me."

"Come on in and I'll introduce you to everyone." Said Greg, taking the wine and cookies from her.

He walked her into the house and introduced Morgan to his mom and aunt, who were both busy in the kitchen, but bott stopped to warmly thank Morgan for coming.

"I'm really glad you were able to make it Morgan." Said his aunt Cindy, coming over to give Morgan a cup of apple cider. "I'm a "more the merrier" type of person. So welcome!"

Morgan thanked Cindy and Greg took Morgan to the living room, where Mr. Sanders was watching a football game. Greg made the introductions as Mr. Sanders invited her to sit down.

"So, you can tell me what my son's been up to then? I haven't heard anything interesting about him in a while. I swear he's hiding something." Mr. Sanders smiled at Greg. "Hey Greg, do you want to go get us a couple of beers? I need time alone to interrogate Morgan or whatever it is you do to suspects."

"Alright Dad, but go easy on Morgan." Morgan smiled at him, letting him know she'd be fine. Greg went back to the kitchen to grab two beers.

His Mom and Aunt were waiting for him. As soon as he saw the looks on their faces, he knew was in trouble.

"Greg, is that the Morgan that you are always talking about? She is _beautiful_." Whispered his mom as Greg opened the fridge.

"Yes, it is the Morgan and yes she is beautiful. Before we go any further, no we are not dating."

"Are you sure?" whispered his aunt, moving through the kitchen to stand beside her sister.

"I really hope I'd be the first one to know if I was dating a beautiful woman like her." Greg said, smiling. He popped the top off of the beers and headed back to the living room. Just like he feared, unbeknownst to Morgan she would now be under scrutiny from the elder women. They were going to look for any indication she was interested in Greg.

Thankfully everyone was on their best behaviour and dinner was a lively and laid back affair. Morgan felt at ease as soon as she sat down at the dinner table. Greg and Morgan told sanitized versions of their wackier cases to his family. Morgan was unaware that Greg's mother and aunt scrutinized every interaction between the two. They watched fascinated as the two interacted like they'd known each other for decades.

"Hey Morgan, can you pass me the-" Greg pointed vaguely near Morgan's plate.

"Sure." She interrupted, handing Greg the pepper shaker. Greg's Mother raised her eyebrows, silently asking Cindy, Did you catch that?

Feeling a bit bolder, Cindy decided to ask Morgan a personal question. "If you don't mind me asking, Morgan, do you have a significant other?"

Morgan smiled, used to the question. "I do not. I spend too much time at work. Greg's the closest thing I have to a boyfriend." Under the table, she patted Greg's knee, smiling at him.

The elder ladies heard the hope in her voice and noticed her reach over to Greg. Greg, however, took the statement with a less optimistic view. Great, _I'm just a placeholder until she finds someone she really wants to be with_. He looked down at his plate, missing the look Mrs. Sanders and Cindy exchanged. Greg's father just asked his wife to pass the potatoes, completely oblivious to the subtext being dissected non verbally by his wife and sister-in law.

After dinner the entire family cleaned up. Morgan enjoyed the banter between the family members. They teased each other with love and found the smallest things funny. She wished her family was as laid back as theirs.

As Morgan was carrying a dish into the kitchen, following Greg, they heard a loud ding.

"The coffee is brewing!" Announced Greg, casting a glance at his prized possession, a fancy futuristic looking coffee maker.

Morgan laughed, putting the dish on the kitchen island. "Your top of the line coffee maker is hilarious. It has has more buttons and settings than my television." She walked over to the coffee maker to inspect it closely. " I am assuming we're having your secret, top of the line coffee too, or do you switch to the store brand when company comes over?" She teased him as the three adults listened to the banter, wandering in and out of the kitchen, bringing in the last of the dishes from the dining room.

"Hey, you had the good stuff when you were over last week!" Greg turned to face Morgan and gave her a playful jab on the arm.

This caught the attention of Greg's father. He looked at his wife with a confused expression on his face. She walked into the dining room and moved close to her husband. He leaned over to whisper to his wife as she set a pie on the table. "Did I miss something? Are Greg and Morgan dating?"

"They are, I just don't think the two of them realize it yet. " She sighed as she took a peek to make sure the two were still out of earshot. "I wish Sara would have been able to come. She could have filled us in on how they interact at work."

He just shook his head, not understanding the answer at all.

After dessert, the five of them settled down to enjoy a cup of Greg's Blue Hawaiian coffee discussing the best sights of Las Vegas. The big discussion was over where to go for the best view of the midnight fireworks on the Las Vegas strip. It was something, despite being back in Vegas for a few years, Morgan had never seen.

Silence settled around the table as the five of them finished the last of the coffee. "I want to thank you for extending the invitation to have me over tonight. I'm really glad I came." Remarked Morgan, taking the last sip from her coffee mug.

Mrs. Sanders smiled at the younger woman. "I'm really glad you came as well. It's so nice to meet friends of Greg." She smiled, rising up from the table. "I'm thinking it's about time the 3 of us took an after dinner walk. It's such gorgeous weather, we really should be enjoying it. Greg, why don't you take Morgan out on your deck for one more coffee before she has to go to work?" She shrugged, as if trying to make an offhand suggestion.

Greg looked over at Morgan. She smiled in return. "I'd love one more cup of your coffee!" She elbowed Greg, laughing.

"Sure." He rose out of his chair, grabbing Morgans mug. He made his way into the kitchen, making Morgan's coffee just the way she liked it. The elder ladies shared a sly smile as they put the last of the dishes in Greg's dishwasher.

After seeing the others head out the front door for a walk, Greg took Morgan out the sliding patio door to his backyard. Right away, Morgan noticed the beautiful, sturdy wooden porch swing, hanging from the overhang.

"Wow! That is an amazing swing. I haven't seen one like that in ages. Can we sit on it?"

"Sure. The previous owners moved into a condo and asked if I would like it. It was easier to leave it up than to take it down." Greg led Morgan over to the swing and sat down, putting his arm over the back of the swing.

Morgan took a seat beside Greg, leaving a safe distance between the two. As much as she wanted to lean up against him and rest her head on his shoulder, she resisted.

"Thanks for thinking of me and inviting me over. I'm glad you did. This really beats staying home solo." Morgan smiled up at Greg, enjoying the smile he returned. Being out of the lab, in completely different circumstances, not just a quick breakfast or beer after shift, continued to prove to Morgan that her feelings for Greg were not just because they worked together. Tonight she realized that in all aspects, Greg was a great guy. Before she lost her nerve, she decided to see if he would be interested in dating her. Conversations about her feelings were not her strong suit, but she tried anyway.

"Can I be honest with you, Greg?" asked Morgan, tracing the pattern on the side of her coffee mug.

Greg removed his hand from behind her and stiffened up a bit. He'd expected that his Mom and Aunt had scared Morgan a little. They had been a little over the top with their hints and sly looks across the table. He figured at some time Morgan would make it clear to him that she wasn't interested in him romantically. Disappointment flooded his veins. As long as she never actually said anything, he could always hope.

"Uh, sure." Greg managed to reply.

"Are you dating anyone?" She asked.

Caught off guard by the second question, Greg replied with a simple, "No,"

"Have you ever dated anyone at the lab?"

"No. But when Sara first started working at the lab I asked her out." Greg smiled at the memory. It seemed like ages ago.

"Really?" Morgan laughed. "I take it she said no?"

"Yeah." Greg looked down at her and continued. "It's funny when I think back. Now, we're very close to each other and are basically family. She's like my sister. I'm sure it would never have worked out if we'd actually dated. I'm glad she said no."

Morgan smiled up at him. "I never knew that. I'll have to tease Sara about that sometime."

"What about you? Are you dating anyone?" Greg asked, before he lost his nerve.

"Nope. I just find I don't have much time. I've been out for the odd coffee date, but it seems my line of work scares people away. And if they don't scare away by the 2nd date, getting called to go to a crime scene in the middle of the second date seems to work."

"Ditto."

Morgan shifted on the swing, moving subtly closer. She put her arm around the back of the swing. Greg watched her arm move closer to him, his breath quickening. "Do you think that maybe one night the two of us could go out?"

Greg shifted closer to Morgan. Was she asking him out? Her eyes were still fixed on her coffee cup, afraid to look at Greg.

"Name the night and I'll be there." He said simply.

Morgan finally worked up the nerve to look at Greg in the eye. She found him looking down at her, soft smile on his lips. She couldn't help but return the smile. Neither moved. They were close enough that either one could close the gap and place a kiss. However, both were frozen, unafraid to make the next move.

Morgan broke away first. She moved to put her coffee cup on the small table beside the swing.

"Morgan." Greg said her name softly as she turned back to him. "Thank you for for having the nerve to do what I never could."

She gave a little laugh, shaking her head. "Merry Christmas, Greg."

The gap between the two of them closed as their lips met. It was better than Greg had imagined, and he'd imagined it a lot. He moved one hand to cup her face as he continued to enjoy the intimate moment. Morgan shifted her body closer, bringing one hand to run her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck.

They sat on the porch swing, enjoying each other's company and discussing where they wanted to go for their first official date until it was time for Morgan to head to work.

After he'd seen Morgan to her car, Greg walked back through the house, stopping as he caught a glimpse of the porch swing, still swaying slightly. He grinned, remembering the last thirty minutes with Morgan on that swing. At that time, Greg did not know that one year later, he would be proposing to Morgan on Christmas night, on that very porch swing.


	15. Green

**A/n- I still have a couple of stories I'm fixing. They're the same old, nothing really new. I figured I'd fix them up while trying to figure out a new and unique angle for a story.**

 **This takes place between season 15 and the craptastic finale movie.**

"Rumor has it, they've finally hired an additional CSI for our shift." Said Hodges, waltzing into the break room, excited to share some new gossip.

"It's true." Added Sara, who had been promoted to acting assistant supervisor while Finn was in hospital. "They wouldn't tell me anything about them though. I do know they're in HR all this week and they start Monday with us."

Morgan and Greg looked at each other. "It'll be nice to have an extra set of hands. I think we've been run a bit ragged lately." Morgan replied. Maybe now she and Greg could spend some more time out of the office together.

"Yeah, I'd like to have some time outside of the lab to have a bit of a social life." Added Greg, sneaking a look at Morgan.

"You don't have a social life anymore." Sara laughed. " I haven't heard any wild date tales from you in ages."

"I've been working too hard." Replied Greg. There was only one girl he wanted to take on a date and he was too chicken to ask her. But things had been going a bit better lately. The odd breakfast together was fast becoming a weekly tradition. However, being chronically understaffed this last month had put a damper on any progress he had made in getting Morgan to see him as more than a friend.

"I don't think any of us are in a position to talk about our stellar personal lives. " Moaned Morgan.

"Yeah, well speak for yourselves." Smirked Hodges. "Anyway, I've heard our new hire's name is Danny Mitchell."

"Mitchell, Danny Mitchell?" Mused Sara. "Where have I heard that name before?" Her eyes scanned the wall as she tried to put a face to the name, but she couldn't.

"Well, it'll be nice to have another male CSI on shift." Greg nodded his head. "I'm surrounded by woman. Beautiful women." He added hastily as Sara and Morgan laughed. "But sometimes I would like more male presence in the office. I feel a little out numbered.'

"What about me?" Asked Hodges, clearly insulted.

"Last week, you went on for ten minutes about the minute differences between the ingredients in matte versus glossy lipstick." Greg retorted.

"But it was for a case." Said Hodges innocently. The rest of them laughed.

* * *

The next evening, Morgan had just set foot in the crime lab when she heard her name being called.

"Morgan!" Shouted Russell from his office.

Down the hall, Morgan heard the shout. _How did he know I was here_? She wondered as she made her way to Russell's office.

Poking her head in, she was greeted by Russell, standing beside one of the most beautiful women she had ever seen. Her chin length black naturally curly hair framed her oval face perfectly. She had the smoothest mocha skin with big brown eyes and pouty lips. If she hadn't been so short, Morgan would have sworn this woman was a model.

"Morgan, meet Danielle Mitchell. She goes by Dani. She's the newest CSI. I have an assault at the Palermo I thought you could take her on. You can show her the ropes as you process the crime scene."

"Sure thing Russell." Nodded Morgan, hiding her surprise that Danny Mitchell was not the middle aged man that they'd all assumed. "I'll bring her by the break room first and give her a quick introduction."

Finding nearly everyone still in the break room grabbing coffee or waiting for assignments, Morgan stopped at the door. "Hey guys, Look who I found! Meet the newest member of our team, Dani Mitchell."

As a group, they all got up and introduced themselves to her, welcoming her to the team.

After Sara had been introduced, she paused for a second, while taking a closer look at Dani. "I know you, you're officer Mitchell's daughter! That's where I recognized the name from."

Dani smiled. "Correct. I was a police officer out in Texas, before becoming a CSI. I've been looking to get back to Las Vegas for a while now. My dad is thrilled I'm here."

"Well, we're glad to have you." Said Sara. "Enjoy your first crime scene in Vegas. And remember, not all of us drive like Morgan." She teased.

"Hey! I'm a good driver." Morgan protested.

"Greg would say otherwise." Sara turned to Dani. "You'll meet Greg tomorrow. He's not in tonight. But don't forget your seatbelt when driving with her."

Morgan just shook her head. "Come on Dani, We'll get you a kit and then off to the crime scene."

* * *

"Have you missed Las Vegas while you were living in Texas?" Inquired Morgan, peeling out of the LVPD headquarters.

Dani sat up straighter in the passenger seat. "I did. I grew up here of course, but moved to Texas because of a job opportunity. I've been itching to get back since the day I left."

Morgan smiled, "I grew up here too, but left in my teens. I'm a bit of a California girl myself. Nick was from Texas, you would have liked him. He recently left for a new job in San Diego."

"My dad filled me in on the changes that have occurred on your shift. He warned me that your team has had a series of unfortunate events lately and may not really be receptive to a new person."

"It's been tough." Admitted Morgan. "With Finn being in the hospital and Nick leaving, we are short handed. But we are surviving. I hope you'll like it here. I'm sure it'll be nice to be back home."

"I never really liked living in Las Vegas as a kid. But as an adult, I find it has its charms. I really like the history of the city. I'm a bit of a history nut and Las Vegas has a fascinating history." Dani paused for a second before continuing. "I'm really looking forward to meeting Greg Sanders. My dad gave me an autographed copy of his book for my birthday a few years ago and I thought it was great. I love urban planning and the evolution of the Las Vegas strip. The Mob played such an integral part in shaping the city throughout the last one hundred years. I'm looking forward to talking about it with Greg."

For some reason, Dani's last statement didn't sit well with Morgan. The thought of Dani and Greg engaged in long conversations bothered her.

The next evening, Morgan's fears turned out to be correct. Greg came into the lab as Dani and Morgan were working through the trace evidence collection from their assault case.

"Well, hello there!" He said with his usual smile. He walked over to Dani, extending his hand. "I'm Greg Sanders. Sara told me you're our new CSI. Welcome to the Crime Lab."

Dani shook hands and smiled back at him. "Hi, it's nice to meet you. I read 'Sin City Secrets' and am looking forward to talking Old Vegas with you. I'm a huge Las Vegas history buff."

"That sounds like fun. I look forward to many conversations with you."

Well that was smooth. Thought Morgan, annoyed. I see he's pouring on the charm for Dani. She listened to Greg and Dani discuss the history of the Palermo for a minute. Greg had focused his attention completely on Dani. His eyes were sparkling as he got the opportunity to tell one of his stories. To both Morgan and Greg's surprise, Dani knew the story and provided some additional details. Morgan looked at Greg's face. His face showed a mixture of shock and admiration. If she didn't pull him out of his Vegas trance, he would soon be giving the two of them a full Vegas history lecture. Bringing the two back to the present, she picked up a knife from the evidence box, trying to get their attention. Greg noticed Morgan take out the knife and quickly finished his story.

"Well, I'd better go see Russell and find out what Las Vegas has to offer me tonight!" Smiled Greg, as he gave the ladies a wave and exited the room. Morgan exhaled with relief. She was hoping to get Greg alone and see if he wanted to go out for breakfast after shift but she didn't want to do it in front of Dani.

Right before shift ended, Morgan found Greg in their shared office, just back from a fresh crime scene. "Are you heading home soon?" She asked, walking towards her desk, trying to act like she was just finishing up her shift and hadn't been skulking around, trying to get him alone.

"Actually, I am. I have dropped all of my evidence off and am hoping when I get back in for shift tonight, I'll be able to start analyzing the results. Do you want to go out for breakfast?" He asked, as he finished shutting down his computer.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

"Do you think we should ask Dani? Maybe she would like to come. You know, make her feel a little more welcome." Greg's face was open, betraying no hidden motive behind the invitation.

Mentally Morgan rolled her eyes. _Dani_! "Sure, I guess. But she may not be used to grave shift yet. She may just want to go home and crash."

"Well, the only way to know is to ask. I'll go find her. I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes?" Greg asked, already out of his chair and grabbing his coat off of the coat hook.

Morgan nodded at his already retreating form. He seemed awfully happy to go find Dani. Morgan groaned and sat down at her desk. Russell chose that moment to poke his head in. "Morgan, do you have the evidence review paperwork finished?" He asked. "I need it for the ten a.m. meeting." He reminded her.

Morgan jumped. _Shit!_ With the new case and her mind on Dani and Greg, she'd forgotten to finish the review. "I'm sorry Russell. It slipped my mind. I'll finish it now." She said, stomach sinking. She texted Greg, letting her know she couldn't make it.

 _That's too bad. We'll miss you_. Was his reply. Darn it. He was still going out for breakfast with Dani. Sullenly, Morgan turned back to her paperwork, not wanting to think about Greg's breakfast date with Dani.

* * *

It was the last shift of the week and Morgan had hardly even seen Greg since she had cancelled her breakfast plans on him. He'd been on a big case and barely had time to say a quick hello whenever the two crossed paths.

"Hey guys, have you seen Dani?" Greg popped his head in the layout room as Sara and Morgan were studying a map. _Dani, blah_. Thought Morgan.

"Sorry, I haven't seen her." Replied Sara, standing across the table from Morgan. She had a great view of the glare Morgan gave to Greg's retreating figure.

"Trouble in paradise?" asked Sara. Glaring at Greg was unusual for Morgan.

"What do you mean?" Replied Morgan, embarrassed she'd been caught.

"Are you a little worried that something's going on between Greg and Dani?"

"Greg can date whoever he wants." Morgan scoffed with a dismissive wave of her hand.

"I'm just wondering if you're a bit jealous, that's all. Greg has had a crush on you since the day he first laid eyes on you. Now someone else has caught his eye." Sara rarely got involved in other's affairs, but she felt she needed to defend Greg. If she could nudge Morgan towards Greg, well, that could be considered a bonus.

Temporarily speechless, Morgan took a few seconds to compose her reply. "If he's got such a big crush on me, how come he has never asked me out on a date?"

"Simple, you are the Sheriff of Las Vegas's daughter. Nick warned him against it when you first got here. Then, I think over time he's put you on such a pedestal that he's become too afraid to ask you. Well that and you've never really shown the slightest bit of interest in him. That's my guess anyway."

"Really, Greg doesn't think I'm interested?" Morgan mused, before realizing that she'd slipped up.

Sara smiled. "So you are interested? What's stopping you from asking him out? It's not 1965 anymore."

"You be quiet." Said Morgan grumpily.

Sara just laughed.

* * *

The rest of the night, Morgan mentally replayed the conversation between her and Sara. Sara was usually a quiet person who never really pried into other people's personal lives. Morgan alternated between wondering why Sara had said what she said, and realizing that Sara was right.

She now had confirmation that Greg was interested in her. Sara had also opened her eyes to the fact that Greg may not have a clue how she really felt about him. It was time to work up the nerve to make a move- before Dani did.

At the end of the shift she'd finally found Greg alone. He was just getting his jacket out of his locker, ready to head home for the night.

"Hey." She said softly, as she stepped into the room.

"Oh, hi Morgan." Greg's face broke into a wide grin. "I haven't seen you much lately, I've been so busy working on the multiple robberies case. How have you been?"

In spite of her nerves, Morgan gave Greg a bright smile.

"I've been okay. I heard you caught the men responsible for the robbery spree."

"Yep, one case closed and I'm sure another one will open soon." Greg closed his locker and walked up to stand beside Morgan as she got her things from her locker.

"It never ends, does it?" Morgan smiled, closing her locker and looking up at Greg.

Morgan's smile looked different than usual. It wasn't the usual guarded smile, it seemed to be a smile just for him. Greg shifted his weight, unsure of what to say or do next.

"Do you want to grab some breakfast and celebrate with me?" Greg asked a little tentatively.

Morgan stepped closer to him, and placed her hand on Greg's forearm in what she hoped was a friendly and flirty gesture. "Breakfast sounds good, but what if I take you out to celebrate at your favourite Steakhouse tonight?"

"Um, yeah, that sounds really great." Stammered Greg. Was Morgan was asking him on a formal date?

Morgan tried to remain calm, but her heart was drumming in her chest. "Seven o'clock?" she said, with another brilliant smile.

"Sure." Greg replied, completely flummoxed. _What the hell is happening?_

Morgan gave him one last smile as she walked out of the locker room. He watched her retreating figure, with a puzzled expression on his face. Unaware that Sara had watched the entire exchange from the entrance, he turned around to shut his locker.

"Hot date with Morgan?" Asked Sara, coming into the locker room. She tried to look nonchalant, but was barely concealing a smirk. Greg looked so confused.

"I don't know." He said slowly. "How much did you see?"

"Well, if I were Nick, I'd say. _Dude, she totally put the moves on you_. As a female, I'd say, well, I'd say the same." She smiled at him. He still looked puzzled. "Morgan has never even shown the slightest bit of interest in me." He paused, "At least, I don't think so."

"Rumor mill has it, that the two of you have been getting pretty chummy lately. I've heard that the you two have been having breakfasts after shift and not inviting anyone else." She raised her eyebrows at him.

Greg smiled, but looked at his feet. "Yeah, okay. But I can't tell if she wants more. Like I've said, she's never hinted at anything before. Well, until today."

"Alright Greg, I think I know what's going on. I have a little inside information."

Greg raised his eyebrows. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

"I believe the old green eyed monster may be forcing Morgan's hand here."

"Jealousy? Jealous of who? You?" Greg was completely confused. He wasn't dating anyone and nobody had asked him out either.

Sara just laughed. "Our newest CSI. You seem to be quite enamored with her."

Realization hit Greg. "Oh!" He said slowly. Then he smiled. "She's jealous of me spending time with Dani!"

"There you go." Smiled Sara. "If this was a crime scene analysis, you would have come to that conclusion a long time ago."

Greg rolled his eyes at Sara. "So if Morgan is jealous, does she just want to go out with me tonight as some weird competition?" He shrugged his shoulders.

"Greg, you and I both know, your office crush on Morgan is pretty well known." She looked him in the eye. "However, I have found out that it is well known to most people except the person who matters the most."

"Morgan doesn't know?" Greg's eyes widened in surprise. "But that's a good thing. I don't quite look like the love sick puppy you are making me out to be."

Sara shook her head. "For crying out loud Greg. Make a move. That's all I'm saying."

An idea formed in Greg's mind. He decided to show Morgan that she didn't have to be jealous of Dani. But he was going to enjoy doing it.

* * *

That evening he brought Morgan to the steakhouse. He had called ahead and made reservations without telling Morgan. He stole a glance back at Morgan as the waitress led them to their table. Morgan's brows furrowed suspiciously as the hostess led them to a table with four place settings. She looked a bit confused as she sat down at the table. She threw a glance at Greg, who was sitting down across from her, his face not betraying that anything was out of the ordinary.

"What's with the extra chairs?" She said, leaning in and looking at Greg suspiciously. Ever since Greg had picked her up, she had lost all of the bravado she'd had in the locker room this morning. She couldn't seem to work up the nerve to do anything, including flirting.

Greg just smiled as he scanned the room. He looked past Morgan and waved at someone. Morgan turned to look over her shoulder, her jaw dropping as she saw Dani Mitchell waving back. _Oh for crying out loud!_ Morgan thought angrily. _I couldn't make it any more obvious that this was a date and he invites Dani?_ She felt both angry and stupid. He didn't like her in any capacity. Sara had been wrong. Morgan's cheeks started to burn with embarrassment as Dani walked over.

Greg turned to Morgan, enjoying look of pure fury on her face. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought I'd invite Dani along. She would really like to get to know more members of the team." _Yeah, certain Vegas lovers_. Thought Morgan with a barely suppressed scowl.

Dani walked over to stand beside Greg, giving him a welcome hug. _A hug? Really_? Thought Morgan. She was so focused on Dani, she didn't notice another woman had been trailing Dani and had walked over to the empty chair beside Morgan.

"Hi, I'm Christa." said the mystery woman, extending her hand towards Morgan. Morgan turned to face this mystery woman, getting a good look at her. She had a short funky black hair cut, spiked with purple accents. She wore the latest fashionable clothes, completely pulling off the rocker chick vibe. Who the hell was this woman?

The four sat down as the waiter came over to take their drink order. Morgan was sneaking glances at Dani and Christa, trying to piece together the mystery of this new development.

"Thanks for inviting us, Greg." said Dani, turning towards him. "We've been so busy settling into our new place here, that we haven't had much time to get out and actually enjoy the city." Dani then gestured towards Christa. "Morgan, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Christa. She's a bartender at the Mirage."

Morgan's eyes widened as she finally clued in. She hid her surprise as best she could. "Oh! It's nice to meet you, Christa. Dani didn't mention she had a significant other."

Dani smiled at Morgan. "I tend to keep it pretty quiet until I get to know people. You'd be surprised where prejudice hides. I slipped up at breakfast the other morning and Greg picked up on it pretty quick. He's a pretty perceptive guy."

After spending an entire week thinking she may have missed her chance with Greg, Morgan was able to breathe a sigh of relief and have a good time. Dani and Christa were good company. Tonight, the actual date may have been a bust, but at least she and Greg were out together, enjoying each other's company. At one point, Morgan mentioned her kidnapping briefly and Greg had reached out and covered her hand with his as she finished her story. The simple gesture, filling Morgan with comfort. She looked up at Greg, giving him a smile as well. It had been a tough time, and she remembered Greg's hug and comforting words on her first case back. She was really lucky to have Greg in her life.

Across the table, Greg and Morgan missed the raised eyebrow Christy gave to Dani, silently asking what was going on between the two of them. Dani made a small shrugging motion before smiling at her partner. "Well, it has been a great night." She said, looking over at Greg and Morgan. "But, we should be getting going. Thanks so much for the invite you guys."

They said their goodbyes as Dani and Christy left.

"Well, do you like Dani a bit more now?" Asked Greg, giving her a smirk.

"What do you mean?" asked Morgan, feigning innocence. "I think she's a really nice person."

"Is she nicer now that you've met her significant other?" Greg couldn't keep the grin off of his face.

"Did Sara blab?" asked Morgan, leaning back and crossing her arms over her chest.

Greg laughed and broke down. "She did mention something. I was just being friendly with Dani. She's really nice. Were you jealous?" He grinned at Morgan who couldn't quite meet his eyes.

"I was worried that we'd lose our time together. I like going out to breakfast with you and I like working with you on cases. We work well together."

"Morgan, I care about you very much and not just as a co-worker. I'm sure you know that. But-"

Morgan cut him off. "Greg, I care for you too. I've told you before I think you're a great guy. I just wish we knew each other under different circumstances. Maybe things would be different."

"So, If worked in the lab and you were a teacher, you'd ask me out on a date?" Greg eyed Morgan closely, waiting for her answer.

"Fine, Greg. Yes I would." Morgan admitted in a hurried breath. "I'm in my thirties and would love to settle down with a guy, but I find myself spending all of my time with you. Not because you're convenient, but because I want to."

"Morgan, I'm forty years old. Getting married and having a kid or two is starting to become farther out of my reach. It's something I want, but I can't do this if I'm just a warm body to you."

Morgan reached over and took Greg's hand. "Greg, I'm sorry if that's the impression you got. You are the most amazing man I've met. You are so smart, funny and have been there for me when things have been bad. I guess I'm just a little intimidated. You're quite the catch. I would like to go on a date with you."

"Well, what is this?" He asked, shrugging his shoulders.

"You invited two other people, this is not a date!" Exclaimed Morgan, laughing.

"That's funny, I don't see anyone else here now." Morgan cut her eyes at him. Greg just laughed "Why don't we stick around and have dessert? Then see what happens when I drop you off at home?"

Morgan's stomach fluttered. She hadn't really thought of him dropping her off at her house. She was so consumed with just making a move on him, she hadn't considered later on. But her mind raced there and she liked where it went.

"You know, I'm kind of full from dinner. Why don't you come back to my place and we can have a beer and watch a movie?" Morgan said nervously.

Looking down at her, he smiled. "That's a good plan."

Back at Morgan's place, she and Greg were sitting side by side on her sofa, each having a beer. They'd turned the television on, but neither was paying attention to it. Morgan was pretending to watch the movie she had chosen. But she was thinking about the conversation back at the restaurant. Why did she have to overthink things when it came to her love life?

"Greg," she whispered, moving closer. "I really want to try." She placed her hand over his bicep, softly caressing his arm as she spoke. "You're right. Things could go wrong, one of us might end up having to trade shifts, but I think you're worth it."

Greg smiled as he pulled her closer into a deep kiss. As Greg broke away, he moved to whisper in Morgan's ear. "I'm totally worth it!"

Morgan swatted him on the arm and laughed, before leaning in for another kiss.


	16. Chocolate

**A/N: Nothing but pure Valentine's sap here. (Still stuck in a rut creativity wise)**

He was overthinking it. It was just a little gift, it didn't mean anything. It was just a nice gesture for a coworker. _Just give it to her_. Nevertheless, his palms were sweating and his stomach was doing flips. He almost chickened out, but forced himself to walk into the break room. _Nothing ventured, nothing gained._

"Hey, how's it going?" asked Greg, trying to appear casual as he headed to the small fridge.

"I'm up to my eyeballs in paperwork." Morgan moaned. She placed her hand above her eyes, illustrating her point.

"That's never fun." He fished something out of the back of the fridge he'd hidden there at the start of shift. "But I did get you something to help cheer you up." He replied, coming over to sit next to her. "It's just a small Valentine's gift for a coworker." Trying to appear nonchalant, he handed her a small paper box.

Looking up with surprise, Morgan looked over to see Greg with his hand outstretched towards her.

"Valentines day?" she said, squinting at him in mock suspicion. "You don't seem to be the type of guy who goes around making sappy declarations of love on Valentine's day."

"You're right." He replied with what he hoped was a casual shrug. "It's nothing big. I was in the area today and thought I'd just stop in and get you something."

She took the box and opened it. Nestled inside were four small, elaborately decorated chocolate balls.

Greg leaned closer, pointing to each chocolate. "That one is salted caramel. This one is lavender. This one is Aztec spice and the final one is plain milk chocolate. Just in case the others were too exotic."

Morgan was touched. "Thanks, Greg." She said, briefly leaning into him. "I haven't had a Valentine in years. If we weren't at work, I'd kiss you." she paused for a second, choosing a chocolate. "Can I take you out to breakfast as a thank you instead?"

"Yeah, I'd like that." He said. "But I can't have both?" He joked.

Morgan laughed but before she could say anything else, she was interrupted by Greg's cell phone. Greg looked down and read the message.

"It's Doc Robbins. He's got something to show me. I'll catch you later?" He said standing up, but pausing for an answer.

She nodded with a bright smile, her mouth full of chocolate.

 _ **If we weren't at work, I'd kiss you**_. Those words rattled around in his mind on his way to the morgue. She had said it in a friendly way, nothing indicating a romantic gesture. He wasn't expecting Morgan to be swept off her feet by his little Valentine's gift, but maybe, just a little, he hoped she would have been. _Oh well, there's still breakfast to_ day. He'd enjoy her company over pancakes.

At breakfast, the two enjoyed each other's company, but Morgan never mentioned Greg's valentine gift. _It was worth a shot_. Thought Greg. _I guess I know where I stand_. He pondered sadly as he walked Morgan to her car. They made idle chit chat as Morgan unlocked her car door. Instead of opening her door, she paused and turned around to face Greg.

"You know, we're not at work now." She said, changing the subject suddenly. They'd just been talking about a show they'd both watched the other night. Momentarily confused, Greg looked down at her.

Morgan moved a bit closer, placing one hand on his chest. Before he could react, she rose up on the balls of her feet and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Greg was frozen in shock. _Holy Shit, she kissed me_! Mentally he shook his head and looked at Morgan. She was smiling up at him, but it was a nervous smile, as if she wasn't sure how he was going to react.

A huge grin spread across Greg's face. "So chocolate...?"

"Chocolate." she replied. This time Greg leaned down to return the kiss.


	17. Ball

_A/N: Nothing but fluff. I worked on this whenever I needed a break from a crime story I'm working on._

* * *

"Hey, Dad. You wanted to see me?" Morgan asked, knocking on Conrad Ecklie's open office door.

"I sure did, thanks for coming." He motioned for her to come in.

Morgan walked into the Sheriff's office, coming to a stop in front of his desk. She watched him move files, folders, papers and the odd office supply until he came across a legal envelope, already opened.

"As a perk of being the Sherriff. I've got six tickets to the policeman's ball. I thought you'd like to come?" He pulled out two tickets and handed them to her.

"You gave me two. Who am I supposed to take?' Morgan gave him a quizzical look.

"Well, I'm taking Olivia." Eclkie said.

Morgan raised her eyebrows in a nonplussed fashion. "I guess Hodges will be my date?" She wasn't overly thrilled at the thought of Hodges being her guest for the evening. She didn't mind spending time with him at work. She understood his unorthodox method of working and as a result she was one of the few who didn't find him overly odd and aggravating. But as a date for a formal event?

Ecklie laughed. "No, Catherine will be joining us as well."

"So," Morgan paused. "Who am I supposed to take then?"

"Well," Conrad replied, "I was thinking you could take Sanders."

"Greg?" Replied Morgan, incredulously. Why would her father ask Greg to take her to the equivalent of a high school prom? The Policeman's Ball had a reputation for being a very fancy night on the town with a romantic setting. What was her father trying to do? She scrunched up her forehead in confusion.

"It would be a good idea for him to come and make some contacts in the police department. He is next in line for an assistant supervisor position. Making a good impression and making his name more well known around the department would help him tremendously." Conrad said.

Morgan searched her father's face, but it did not betray any hints of an ulterior motive. She narrowed her eyes. "Now I have to ask him to go to the Policeman's ball with me? That's a little awkward."

"It's nothing you can't handle. I'm sure Sanders will say yes." From the looks Conrad saw Greg sneak at Morgan from time to time, he was aware that Greg had feelings for her. He had also noticed Morgan's step was a little more bouncy when she was teamed up with Greg. The Sheriff of Las Vegas raised his eyebrows at his daughter, challenging her to argue.

Morgan sighed, not wanting to get into an argument over free tickets. "Sure, fine. I'll ask him tonight." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I'm going to head back to the lab now, shift will be starting soon. Thanks for the tickets." She came around the desk to give her father a quick hug. "I'm off to crack our latest case." She left her father and headed back to the lab for another long night on a frustrating case.

Morgan and Greg had been paired up on a case that had started off promising, but the forensic evidence didn't match to their main suspect. They'd spent the better part of the week working doubles and following up on leads the evidence provided, trying to crack the case. All of the work they'd done just seemed to lead to Morgan and Greg right back to where they started.

After more hours of fruitless examination and more dead leads, the two were alone in the break room having a bite to eat and discussing their latest case. Morgan still hadn't managed to figure out a way to ask Greg about attending the Ball with her. Truthfully, she'd been putting it off. Greg wasn't known for being someone who enjoyed schmoozing with the higher ups in the department. He was more of a guy who liked to quietly go about his work. She absentmindedly moved her salad around in her container, not actually picking up any vegetables with her fork.

Puzzled, Greg looked over at Morgan, who was lost in thought beside him, eyes down at her salad. She was not even pretending to look at the case file opened in front of her on the table. "Are you okay, Morgan? You've gotten really quiet all of a sudden. " He waved a hand in front of her eyes, jokingly.

Hodges chose that second to come strolling into the break room, saving Morgan from answering Greg's question. Unfortunately, he asked Morgan if she'd received her tickets for the Ball from her father yet.

Morgan visibly jumped, "Yeah, I just spoke to him before I started shift. How's the trace evidence we found on the victim's clothing coming?" She asked Hodges, trying to change the subject.

"Just fine." Hodges replied, taking a Tupperware container out of the small refrigerator and choosing a chair across from the two. "So, are you in, Greg?" He asked, opening up his container and removing his sandwich.

"In where?" Greg scrunched up his face in confusion.

"You and Morgan. Are going to the policeman's ball with us?"

 _What_? He was supposed to be taking Morgan to this formal event? "I had no idea it was coming up." Greg shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I wasn't planning on going. In my very long career here, I've managed to avoid going to every one of them. Sitting around in a tuxedo, playing office politics, that's not for me." He felt uncomfortable that Hodges automatically thought he was going with Morgan. Was Hodges noticing a little too much?

"Conrad got us all tickets at his table." Hodges said, as if sitting at the Sheriff of Las Vegas' table at the biggest, most political fundraiser of the year was no big deal.

"He what?" Said Greg, astonished. "Why me?" Was he being punished for something?

Morgan jumped in, feeling guilty. "When I came to see my dad before shift tonight, he gave me two tickets to the Ball and suggested I bring you. He thought that it may help your career if you became a little more visible throughout the police department." She shrugged, looking down at her salad.

 _But I don't want to be more visible_. Thought Greg. But he did want to move up, and he was planning on applying for the next Assistant Shift Supervisor when a position opened. And frankly, he'd go anywhere Morgan asked him to.

"So, if you would like to go, I've got a ticket for you." Said Morgan, looking up at Greg.

"Well, if Ecklie told you to bring me. It's more of an order than an invite. But I'll be happy to go with you." Shrugged Greg, smiling.

"Thanks, Greg. I'll make sure you have a great time with me." Morgan raised her eyebrows at Greg and gave him a flirty smile.

"Save the sap for the Ball." David Hodges rolled his eyes as he popped the last of his sandwich in his mouth. He got out of his chair and headed back to his lab, leaving Greg and Morgan alone in the break room.

* * *

Over the next two weeks Morgan's excitement at going to the ball was actually making Greg a little excited to go with her. Greg realized that he was really looking forward to showing off Morgan Brody as his date. Even though it wasn't a real date, since it was basically socializing at work. He always had to be professional at work. But at the Ball, he could get a lot closer to her both romantically and physically and it wouldn't seem odd. It was just too bad he'd be sitting with one of the most intimidating men in Las Vegas law enforcement, who also happened to be his date's father. He also couldn't forget that Hodges would be there, watching with his suspicious eyes.

The night of the ball, found Greg at Morgan's house dressed in his Tuxedo. He accented the tuxedo with a red and black patterned bow tie, a fedora perched on his head giving him a little bit of his own flair to standard black formal wear. Morgan greeted him in her own halter style cherry red dress, form fitting bodice leading to a long gathered skirt. Morgan looked him up and down, clearly impressed with his look. Greg was similarly impressed with Morgan and told her as soon as he could find the right words.

Greg stepped inside the Morgan's doorway as she reached for her purse and a sweater. As soon as she turned back to him, he made a quick grab for her waist. He pulled her close, dropping his lips to her ear.

"Are you sure you don't just want to stay here tonight?" He whispered in her ear, before leaning forward and planting soft kisses down her neck.

Morgan turned to Greg and wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the sensation of his lips on her. "God, Greg, that feels so good." She whispered back. "But we have to go. Stop kissing me! What are we going to tell my dad if we show up late and my makeup and hair are a mess?' She pulled away from him and gave him a sad smile. Moving her hands to reach under his jacket, Morgan slowly ran her fingers up and down his chest. "After the Ball we can come back here." She leaned in closer and whispered, "Tonight's the night."

"I've waited four long months for this night. " Complained Greg with a smile. "We took it way too slow in the beginning."

"We didn't want to do something stupid and rush into anything." Morgan admonished him. "I didn't realize we'd get caught up in some high profile cases, work crazy overtime and then I got called to go to court for a few days. "

"Wow, you really know how to set a mood." Replied Greg.

"Alright, Casanova, lets go." She grabbed her keys and shooed Greg out the door before following him.

They stepped out into the night, Greg escorting Morgan over to his new prized possession. His apple red Audi sports car. He'd purchased it just before he'd started dating Morgan. He had been tired of coasting through life lately, not really enjoying himself, just working. On a rare day off, Greg had decided he needed to start living a life outside of work. That same day, he put his plan into action. The first thing he did was purchase an insanely expensive sports car that he always wanted but never had the courage to actually purchase. The second thing he did was invite Morgan to come for a ride in it. The third thing he did was ask Morgan out on a date, while she was riding in his new car. He had no idea what gave him the sudden confidence that day, but while they were on a straight stretch of highway, Greg blurted out, "Do you want to go out for dinner with me sometime?" She looked over at him and said yes immediately. Greg smiled at the memory of her eyes widening and her big smile when she said yes. Thank God she had said yes, because it would have made for an awkward ride back home.

Greg put his arm around his girlfriend as they walked down the driveway to his car.

"Can I drive?" Asked Morgan as Greg went to open the passenger side car door.

"Never." Was Greg's quick reply.

Upon entering the banquet hall, Morgan looped her hand through Greg's elbow. Greg took a deep breath, preparing himself to sit with Conrad Ecklie. Before tonight, he had made a mental note not to flirt with Morgan at all. However, a new problem had surfaced. He was having a hard time keeping his eyes off of Morgan, and that included the little bit of exposed cleavage showing in the front of her red dress. Overall, it was not a very revealing dress, but the low halter style neckline and fitted top half gave Greg a view of Morgan that he really enjoyed. From the waist down, the dress gathered in a long full skirt, hiding her legs right down to the ankles. But it was the top half that dress that was going to cause problems.

"Sanders!" Called out a voice, nearby. Turning, Greg noticed Officer Briggs and Officer Tucker walking over, beers already in hand.

Morgan and Greg greeted the two men and exchanged pleasantries. Then Morgan whispered an excuse ad walked away to talk to someone else. The three men watched Morgan walk away. As soon as she was out of earshot, the two men turned back to face Greg "Hey Man, are you dating Brody?" were the first words out of Briggs mouth.

Greg shook his head. "No." He lied, "I'm just escorting her here on her Dad's behalf."

"Ah." Nodded Tucker. "She told me she didn't date cops. I was wondering how you, of all people changed her mind."

Officer Briggs laughed loudly and gave Officer Tucker a slap on the back. "You're just touchy because you asked her out as soon as you had the chance. She turned you down flat."

Just then Morgan came back and Greg quickly ended the conversation as the two made their way to their table.

"So, I heard officer Tucker asked you out a few years ago." He said, interested to see what her reaction was.

"Yeah, persistent guy, too. I had to tell him I don't date people I work with to get him off of my back." Morgan rolled her eyes, as they found their table. Stiffly, Greg held out the chair for Morgan as he felt the eyes of Ecklie on him. He took his seat beside Morgan, purposefully looking away and greeting Catherine Willows, Hodges and finally thanked Ecklie for the tickets.

"I'm glad you could come." The Sheriff replied with a smile.

Greg was startled. He didn't know the Ecklie even knew how to smile, unless he was delivering bad news.

"So I see you have finished examining the evidence on the gang shootout in Summerlin?" Inquired Conrad.

Greg nodded. "It took two weeks just to process all of the evidence, but the reports have been finished and handed in to Catherine. I guess it's up to the D.A. now."

Morgan chimed in, "I don't think I have ever processed as much ballistics evidence as I did at that scene. We had to find every spent cartridge, document it and determine which gun it was fired from. Then we had to plot each cartridge and bullet found on a map of the area. Xiomara and I spent a week together, twelve hour shifts. It was brutal. But on the plus side, I got to know Xiomara a lot better."

"I remember a similar case where I was the lucky one to look for ballistics evidence." Greg spoke up, recalling a memory from his early days in the field. "It was a moving vehicle shootout with the police. My only job was to walk up the roadway, literally miles and find every piece of ballistics evidence. For this scene, you're lucky you had me with you." Greg grinned, giving her a nudge, before remembering Morgan's father was watching the interaction closely. "But I've been working on another case this past week. It had much less evidence to process." Greg concluded quickly, hoping to get the attention off of him.

"I would have rather been there than staying awake all day for court. Court is brutal. Waiting for the call is the worst part." Morgan shook her head. The others all agreed with her statement. Catherine piped up to recount a courtroom story and the conversation started to flow.

As everyone at the table enjoyed a drink with their first course, the uneasiness around the table started to fade as the six enjoyed their dinner. Catherine was telling a story about her dancer days when her eyes drifted to something in the distance. The others turned to see what had caught her attention. Catherine was watching two day shift lab workers as they walked towards the bar. The lab workers had clearly had a few more drinks than the CSI's seated at the table. The two had their arms around each other. The man pulled the woman in for a hug and slowly ran his fingers up and down her arm. Greg, Morgan, Catherine and Hodges eyes followed the two as the brazenly flaunted their attraction to each other. The man leaned down and kissed the top of his partner's head as they walked up to the bar.

"I'd heard a rumor that there were a couple of lab techs on day shift dating." Whispered Hodges loudly across the table. "I think it's a safe bet to say that it's Louis and Amy."

"No kidding." Replied Catherine, wide eyed. "And walking right beside the Sheriff's table, that was quite brazen."

All of the CSI's looked at Ecklie to gauge his reaction, fully expecting to see an angry man. Instead, they were greeted with a blank face.

"What? There is no rule forbidding dating within the department." He said, picking up his wine glass and taking a sip.

"There certainly is!" Exclaimed Hodges, outraged. "Remember Sara and Grissom?"

Ecklie shook his head. "That was ages ago. Do you guys not read your departmental emails? The rule was changed about two months ago. I had HR send out a memo."

The four members of LVPD looked at each other blankly. Olivia Hodges smiled knowingly.

"Well I do remember getting one that said there were some slight changes to some HR policies, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I have it flagged in my email." Bluffed Hodges.

Ecklie shook his head. "Well, There have been some issues in other law enforcement agencies with agents dating in secret. If they work together, collect and process evidence together, it can be an problem in the event they are required to testify in court. If the defense pokes into the agent's background and finds out that the person has been directly violating Agency rules, it can shred the credibility of the law enforcement agents. All a defense attorney has to do is bring up the fact that the two are dating in direct violation of their Agency rules. All credibility that the agent once had is gone. It's the old defense tactic of,' If they are lying about one thing, what else are they lying about?'" Ecklie paused for dramatic effect. "Poof, there goes the case " Ecklie made an exploding motion with his hands, emphasizing his words.

Hodges and Catherine both looked at Greg and Morgan to gauge their reactions. It was obvious the two had a mutual attraction. Both Greg and Morgan had their eyebrows raised in surprise, but were very careful not to look at each other.

Ecklie's statement had been quite unexpected. Even now, as he'd seemed to mellow a bit in his later years, Ecklie was not really a man to make things easier for other people. He enjoyed rigidity, rules and order. Greg's second thought was of Morgan. She would now be able to tell her father she was dating Greg. But would she want to? Maybe Conrad knew, which is why he invited Greg. Greg started to sweat and reached for his wine to distract himself.

During the main course, Greg tried to forget about Conrad's surprise pronouncement and tried to enjoy his steak. Greg listened to the conversation around the table. The conversation floated between work and personal life between the six at the table.

At one point Conrad got up to get another drink at the bar, and Catherine joined him.

"So, Conrad, that new dating policy is interesting. What really made you change it?" Asked Catherine as she joined him at the bar.

Ecklie sighed, "I don't like the idea, but it made sense." Was all he said.

"So basically you wanted to do something nice for your daughter." Catherine wasn't willing to let Ecklie off easy.

"That had nothing to do with it." He shook his head as he looked back in his daughter's direction. He watched her laugh at something Greg said, placing her hand briefly on his arm. Greg gave her a warm smile in return. All Ecklie wanted was for Morgan to be happy and have a well rounded life. He didn't want her to be a workaholic and end up alone, or worse, married to her job.

Catherine smiled. "Well you did a good thing. Besides Greg is a great guy and he'll treat her well."

Ecklie rolled his eyes. "I'd rather not think about that." He grabbed two drinks from the bartender and turned to go back to the table. He paused and added. "But if our lab ends up being a real life Melrose place, I'm putting the old policy back in place. No hesitation."

Catherine laughed at the outdated reference. "So you're going to leave the policy in place just long enough for your daughter to find someone she loves and then grandfather her situation in after changing the policy back?"

Conrad just stared at Catherine completely amazed that she had seen through his charade so easily. Catherine winked, grabbed her drink and headed back to the table. Conrad followed her, a little put out. He had to stop underestimating Catherine Willows.

Back at the table, Greg and Morgan were no longer making awkward conversation, the wine having done its job at loosening them up. They were currently involved in a lively debate over an old case, retelling the story for the others at the table.

"You were totally infatuated with that model." Greg said, teasingly. "I remember standing right beside you, watching you drool over that model with chocolate dripping down his body."

"It was the chocolate I was interested in, not the model." Denied Morgan, smiling.

Conrad watched the two debate the point for a couple of minutes, laughing at the absurdity of the case with the others. They were interrupted by a waiter bringing dessert.

"I love cheesecake." Remarked Morgan happily as the cheesecake was placed in front of her. It was topped with a fancy swirl of whipped cream and a cherry placed right in the center of the whipped cream. When Greg's was placed in front of him, he immediately pushed his towards Morgan. She reached over, grabbed the cherry off of the whipped cream and thanked him with a smile.

Greg smiled back, until his gaze shifted and caught Ecklie watching the two of them. Suddenly uncomfortable, Greg moved his cheesecake back, grabbed a fork and dug in with a little more enthusiasm than normal.

After dinner, the music got louder, people found the dance floor and the real party began. Morgan leaned closer to Greg, putting her arm on the back of Greg's chair. "Hey, do you want to get another drink?" she asked.

Greg turned to smile back at her, "Sure." The two of them got up and Greg followed Morgan to the bar. He was having trouble keeping his thoughts businesslike as his eyes roamed up and down, admiring Morgan from the top of her neck, down to the graceful way she swayed as she walked.

"Do you want a beer?" She asked turning to face him as they arrived at the bar.

"I'm good for now. I'm driving." He replied with a smile.

"Oh, right. I'm sure you don't want to leave your precious baby here overnight." She teased him.

"No, we've got to get you back home to your place." He replied, looking her in the eye as he raised his eyebrows.

The way he looked at her when he said that, sent a shiver up the back of Morgan's spine. His eyes had an intensity she hadn't seen before. She held her gaze for just a beat longer than normal before reluctantly turning back to the bartender.

After the bartender had given Morgan her drink, they turned to make the walk back to their table.

"So, did you just come to the bar with me for the fun of it?" She said.

"No, but I did enjoy getting away from the Sheriff of Las Vegas for a few minutes." He replied with a teasing grin.

"My dad won't hurt you." She laughed, giving Greg a light nudge with her shoulder. "He thinks you are good at what you do. He wouldn't have invited you to come and mingle with higher ups in the Police department if he didn't think you were capable of holding a higher position."

 _It's not professionally that I'm scared of him, its the fact that I'm dating his daughter without his knowledge that's the problem._ Thought Greg. The two approached the table, finding the other four just getting up out of their chairs.

"Come on everyone, we are hitting the dance floor." Announced Catherine as she stood up, waving the two over. The Isley Brothers song, _Shout_ was playing. Morgan put her beer on her table and grabbed Greg's arm. "Are you coming?" She asked, gazing up at him, a challenging smile on her face.

"You're lucky I was a bit of a rave goer in my past. I can dance to anything." He smiled back at her, boldly reaching out his hand.

Morgan was surprised, but gladly took Greg's hand and he led her onto the dance floor where Catherine and Olivia were enjoying the song tremendously, dancing to the energetic beat. Hodges and Ecklie were a little less enthusiastic. Morgan, however, instantly matched Catherine and Olivia's enthusiasm and started dancing and singing right away. Greg could hear Morgan's clear voice matching the Isley Brothers as she danced. He smiled down at her, watching the happiness on her face as she enjoyed herself. He tried not to stare, but was having difficulty keeping his eyes off of her.

Pretty soon a new song replaced _Shout_. The familiar sounds of the Chicken Dance started to play. The ladies enthusiasm was contagious and the men found themselves flapping their arms and doing the dance with the ladies. When the time came for them to split into partners, Morgan linked her arm with Greg and spun him around in a circle.

"Are you having fun dancing?" She asked, not slowing down at all.

Greg leaned down closer to her. "I cannot believe I'm on a dance floor with the Sheriff of Las Vegas doing the Chicken Dance. But yeah I'm having fun." He shrugged his shoulders and started dancing again. Morgan laughed, flapping her arms up and down.

The chicken dance ended and a slower song started playing. Morgan looked over at Greg, and found him looking back. She gave him a smile, "Would you like to dance with me?"

He closed the gap between them as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "Absolutely."

She smiled and moved her hands over his shoulders and clasped them at the base of his neck.

Greg could feel her breath at the base of his neck. He felt her warmth as she pressed her body against his. He was as close as he had ever been to Morgan. Sure, they'd had some time alone and enjoyed each other's company, but there was still one thing they hadn't done. The strain of being so close to Morgan, in a romantic setting had made Greg a little uneasy. He really wanted to take her in his arms and start something that he was going to finish. From the way she had wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself close, he had a feeling that Morgan was feeling the same way. However, being in a public place, was helping him fight the urge.

Morgan leaned her head on Greg's shoulder as Greg closed his eyes, enjoying every second of the dance. He could feel the electricity between the two of them. All too soon the song ended and Morgan slowly pulled herself away from Greg, keeping her arms around his neck.

Greg found himself looking deep into her beautiful blue eyes, the desire behind them unmistakable. His eyes drifted down to her lips, slightly open and so close. He just had to lean down slightly to press his lips against hers. However, reality set in and Greg pulled back. Morgan reluctantly removed her arms from his neck and the two of them started to make their way back to their table, walking side by side, Greg's hand on her lower back, as she led them through the crowded dance floor back to the table.

"I haven't danced like that in ages!" Exclaimed Morgan as they sat down at their table. She immediately reached for a pitcher of water and poured herself and Greg a drink. She handed him a glass, smiling as their fingers briefly touched. They were alone at the table, the others off mingling. Morgan scooted her chair closer to Greg's. She leaned forward and put her hands on Greg's knee. When she leaned forward, Greg got a glimpse of Morgan's cleavage before he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I'm a little hot from all of that dancing, do you want to get some fresh air outside?" She asked, seductively.

"Absolutely." Came his quick reply.

Once outside, they walked around the small garden area, occasionally stopping to say a quick greeting to fellow police and law enforcement officers. Greg was still trying to keep a respectable distance between himself and Morgan.

"People are going to find out soon enough, Greg." Morgan said. She nodded her head as she saw Catherine Willows walk up to the two of them, another drink in hand.

"So, how long have you two been dating?" She asked, coming to a stop in front of them. Both Greg and Morgan tried to look innocent.

Catherine laughed. "Your secret is safe with me. I just noticed how comfortable you two were dancing. There was no awkwardness, no weirdness. It was a dead giveaway."

Once again Morgan and Greg looked at each other, both still thinking of a way to deny it. When it became clear Catherine wasn't about to drop it, Greg shrugged.

"It's been a few months."

Catherine smiled and put her arm around Greg's shoulder. "I've known you from over fifteen years. Starting with the funky haired Lab rat and growing into the man you are today. You're like a son to me. I'm just glad you are happy. I've always told you that I should check out your girlfriends because I can smell a rotten one. Morgan's not a rotten one, Greg. Hold on to her." She reached over and grabbed Greg tightly, pulling him into a bear hug.

"Thanks, Catherine."

Catherine pulled back with a sappy smile on her face and disappeared into the night, swaying ever so slightly in her heels.

"Who knew Catherine would be a sappy drunk?" Mused Morgan. "I figured she'd be a crier."

Laughing, Greg put his arm around her shoulder. "Well at least we don't have to worry about telling her we're dating. Come on, let's get back inside, the night's almost over."

Morgan leaned into Greg, giving him a side hug. "You really want go home, don't you."

He looked down at her, a grin forming at the side of his mouth. "Morgan, I've waited a very long time for this. It's like giving someone a Christmas present on Christmas morning, but telling them they have to wait until Christmas night to open it."

The next morning, Morgan woke up to soft snoring beside her. Turning around she smiled at the still sleeping Greg beside her. While the policeman's Ball had been an enjoyable time, the real fun came afterwards. She let her mind drift back to their amorous activities. It had been everything she had thought it would be. Greg had shared the same sentiment last night.

As she moved closer to cuddle him, Greg woke up and turned on his back. She snuggled on his chest as he put his arm around her.

"Did you have a good time last night?" She asked softly.

"Absolutely." He replied. Morgan could hear the smile in his voice.

"I meant at the Ball."

"Oh, yeah. That was fun too."

"My Dad wasn't too intimidating?" She laced her fingers through Greg's free hand.

"He was fine. I survived."

"Good, because we're having dinner with him on Friday."

Greg scrambled to sit upright in Morgan's bed. She looked up at him, and shook her head, laughing. She sat up and joined him, back resting on the headboard.

"Relax Greg. It was right before we left. You'd gone to the bathroom and it was just Dad and me sitting at the table. We talked for a bit and he said that if we wanted to date, it was fine with him. He actually said some pretty nice things about you."

She paused and looked up at Greg. He just shrugged.

"Well, we had to tell him sooner or later. Besides If I could survive sitting at the same table as him last last night, dinner will be fine."


	18. Nick Gets Married

**A/N: I've had this one sitting around for a while, but was never quite satisfied enough with it. I just couldn't get it right, but there are some parts I liked, so I'm hoping some people enjoy it. Warning, this is nothing but cheesy romance.**

"Good, you all got my text." Said Catherine, striding into the break room. She briskly walked to the lone empty chair and sat down at the table, joining her colleagues. "I thought since tonight wasn't too busy, we'd better sit down and figure our car pool arrangement out."

Seated around the table, Greg, Morgan, Hodges, Henry and Lindsay all nodded.

Catherine continued, "So, everyone is leaving Las Vegas on Friday night? I've heard that everyone is leaving at different times due to previous commitments?"

Without taking his eyes off of Catherine, Greg nudged Morgan beside him. "Who would have thought it?" He whispered, smiling. "Nick getting married."

Morgan smiled back. "I'm really looking forward to going this weekend. It's going to be a blast."

"I have a supervisor's meeting Friday morning, which means I'll be getting away a little later than the rest of you" Continued Catherine. "I assume the rest of you are all leaving mid afternoon?" Again, all nodded.

"I have to be in San Diego by 7 pm to start performing my Best Man duties." Greg spoke up. "but I'd be happy to have some company for the drive down."

Morgan looked over at Greg and smiled. "I'll go with you." She piped up before anyone else could agree to go with him. Driving with Greg was always fun. She enjoyed the time they got to spend together on the way to and from crime scenes, talking about whatever came to their minds. Truthfully, she'd developed feelings for Greg a long time ago and her plan was to spend some time with Greg in San Diego, and figure out if he reciprocated those feelings.

"Fine." Came the unanimous voice of four other people. Some were able to hide their smirks better than others. Lindsay had an almost gleeful look on her face. Morgan noticed the look on Lindsay's face before Lindsay covered up her smile with a small cough.

Lindsay cleared her throat. "I'll wait around and ride with my mom. I don't want her to make the drive alone."

In reply, Hodges turned to Henry. "David and Doc Robbins are both coming solo and i told them they could come with us. I can drive."

"I'll drive. I'm not getting in that death trap of a car." Henry replied.

"It' s a classic!" Exclaimed Hodges, clearly offended.

"Death trap." Repeated Henry firmly.

"Well, that was settled quicker than I anticipated." Said Catherine standing up from her chair. "I guess it is back to work. " She paused. "But this weekend will be a blast." She smiled and headed back to her office.

Friday at two pm, Greg pulled into Morgan's driveway. He found her sitting on her front stoop, travel suitcase beside her. She gave him a quick wave as she stood up and wheeled her bag over to the back of the car. Greg joined her, opening his hatch and placing her suitcase in for her.

Once in the car, Greg gestured to the travel mug in the console beside her. "I'm not sure if you've had a coffee yet, but I brought you a fresh cup. I made some for the car ride."

Touched, Morgan smiled. "Thank you! I decided to sleep a bit extra instead of making coffee."

"The plight of the shift worker. Little sleep, switching to being awake during the day for the weekend, and then switching back." He picked up his own travel mug and took a sip of fresh coffee. "Good coffee makes it bearable."

Morgan picked up her mug and took a taste. The coffee tasted wonderful. It was exactly how she liked it. She brought it up to her lips, taking another satisfying sip. She sunk back in her seat, smiling at Greg's thoughtfulness.

Greg noticed, "I take it, you like your coffee?" He smiled, as he backed out of her driveway. She didn't want to tell him she wasn't smiling because of the coffee, so she nodded her head and thanked him again.

"Did you get much sleep this morning?" She asked, changing the subject.

"About five hours, but that's the usual for me. I would have liked a bit longer. I'm sure I'll be up late tonight hanging out with Nick and the guys."

"The girls and I are going out for a few drinks while you guys are doing your thing. Sara even agreed to join us. I'm looking forward to a ladies reunion as well."

"It's kind of amazing that Nick's getting married. He always liked to date, but never one girl at once."

"I guess when you find the right person, you just know." She replied, looking at her hands. _Perhaps the right person is sitting in right beside you_. She thought. Greg looked over at her and smiled.

"Yeah." He said softly. He coughed and then continued to talk about Nick and his soon to be wife.

After a few hours in the car, Greg asked Morgan if she wanted to stop for a something to eat. She agreed and he pulled off at the next exit, finding a coffee shop. After a bathroom break and bite to eat, they walked out into the warm afternoon sun.

"I was starting to get a bit stiff sitting in the car. Do you want to walk up the boulevard for a bit?" Greg asked Morgan.

"Sure." She agreed. "When we get back on the road, do you want me to drive for a bit?"

Greg leaned a bit closer to her. "Not a chance, Brody." He smirked. "Come on, lets walk down the sidewalk."

The two of the walked down the sidewalk, side by side. Their hands occasionally touching. Morgan could not shake the butterflies in stomach every time she felt his touch. She wondered if Greg was feeling anything. Her mind wandered to the dress she was planning on wearing to the wedding. It was low cut and form fitting, Morgan's ultimate goal was for her to catch Greg's eye. She wanted him to see her as more than a co-worker, maybe someone he could be with.

"You've gone quiet. Have you run out of things to talk about? Because we still have a couple of hours left of driving." He nudged her with his elbow.

Thinking quickly she said, "Actually, with Nick and Deena meeting and getting married so quickly, I'm wondering if it a shotgun wedding."

"This isn't the 1960's anymore." He laughed, giving her a light nudge on her arm. "But I'll let you know if Nick says anything."

They'd come to a busy intersection and stopped, watching cars going every which way. "Are you ready to turn back and head on the road again?" Morgan asked, as a blue sedan made a sharp right turn in front of them.

"Yeah, we should." They turned around together, and just for a second, Greg placed his hand on her lower back. Morgan felt a rush of electricity course through her. _I've got it bad._ Thought Morgan, trying to walk straight and not show that his touch affected her.

The rest of the drive was spent companionably chatting and before Morgan knew it, they were pulling into the parking lot of the large hotel. Greg looked at the elaborate landscaping and gardens dotting the green areas of the front parking lot. "Wow, nice looking place." He said to Morgan.

Morgan nodded. "I wonder what the inside looks like?"

"Lets go find out." Hopping out of Greg' s vehicle and grabbing their suitcases, the two entered the through the glass double doors and found themselves in a cream coloured lobby with large pillars showcasing the high ceilings, the centerpiece being a large and elaborate crystal chandelier. They followed the cream coloured, shiny and elaborate patterned tile, leading them to the check in area.

"This place reminds me of the casinos on the strip." Remarked Greg, as he took his room key from the desk clerk.

"Hey, you guys made it!" called a voice across the lobby. Greg and Morgan turned to find Hodges and Henry walking towards them, each with a beer in hand. After greetings had been exchanged, Hodges ordered Greg to go up and get ready.

"Nick's waiting for his best man so the party can start!" Hodges said. "We're grabbing a cab as soon as you are ready to go. Doc and David will be down here any minute."

"Okay," said Greg, grabbing his suitcase and heading for the elevator. "Let me change and I"ll be down in ten minutes."

"Hurry up man, party's starting." Urged Hodges calling after the two. Laughing at Hodges, Morgan followed as Greg led them to the elevator.

"What's your room number?" He asked as the elevator doors closed.

"306." She replied, looking at the miniature folder holding her room key. "You?"

"308. I guess we're neighbors for the next two nights."

"You'd better keep it down then, Sanders. I don't want to hear any wild parties next door."

"No promises, Brody. I'm celebrating the end of my buddy's bachelor days. It may get wild." He grinned at her as the elevator dinged and the doors opened.

"You were supposed to get that whole bachelor party thing out of your system when Nick came to Vegas for his real bachelor party last month. I seem to remember I had to cover for your sorry ass when you were too hungover to go dumpster diving the next night." She smiled at him, to let him know she wasn't angry, as they walked down the hall to find their rooms.

"You're right. I'm sorry." He stopped as he approached room 306. "Here's your room. I guess I'd better get ready. Hodges and Henry seem super anxious to get going."

Instead of continuing on to his room, he lingered for a minute, seemingly not wanting his time with her to end. "Are you going to be alright waiting for the girls?"

"I'll be fine Greg, I'm just going to take a shower and get ready for drinks with the girls." She smiled as she put her key in the lock.

Once inside the room, she gave it a quick once over noting it was the standard hotel room. Something caught her eye as she walked through the little entrance way. Looking over, she noticed it was an adjoining door. Well, son of a gun. She thought. An adjoining door to Greg's room. _If I was a certain type of girl, that would come in_ _handy._ She chuckled to herself as she put her suitcase on the bed carefully opening it and taking out her dress she planned to wear to the wedding. She walked by the adjoining door as she hung the dress up on the coat rack near the door. Her mind couldn't help but wander back to the adjoining door. She thought of Greg, probably in the shower by now. Morgan laughed as she shook her head. _Get your head out of the gutter Brody._ Grabbing her clothes and toiletry bag, she headed for the bathroom for her own cold shower.

Once cooled off after her shower, Morgan got dressed and was just about to dry her hair when she thought she heard a soft knock. She paused as she listened for it again. It was coming from the adjoining door. Greg! Her heart skipped a beat as she quickly unlocked her own door.

There he stood before her, sharply dressed in a black, long sleeved button up shirt, blue jeans and freshly gelled and washed hair. He gave her a sheepish look as she opened the door. "I just wanted to say have a good night." He paused for a second as he looked Morgan over. She'd put on a short black pencil skirt, paired with a red sleeveless blouse. Her face was free of make up. While her hair was brushed neatly, it was still wet from her shower. "You look very nice." He said with a small smile.

Inwardly Morgan felt a warmth spread through her body. "My hair is soaking wet and I'm only half ready. I don't have my make up or shoes on. But thanks though." She smiled up at him, framed in the door way. Just for a split second, she thought Greg was going to lean forward and kiss her. The air stilled as both of them froze in response to the sudden tension in the doorway.

Just then Morgan's phone beeped, announcing she'd received a text. Morgan turned to look at the phone on her bed, mentally cursing it. "That's probably one of the girls. I guess they've arrived."

"Have fun with the ladies tonight, and don't do anything I wouldn't do." Greg gave her a quick smirk.

Morgan raised an eyebrow in response.

"Okay, don't do anything I would do. Better?"

"Have fun Greg." She smiled in response as they shut their respective doors.

A few hours later, Morgan found herself at a swanky martini bar near the hotel. Sara, Catherine, Lindsay and Morgan all sat at a large wooden table, slightly sticky from spilled booze. Each of them were enjoying their second martini. As the booze flowed, tongues loosened and the girl talk began.

Lindsay had just finished telling the girls about her first date with a young policeman. By the blush on her cheeks and smile on her face, it didn't look like it was going to be her last either.

"We made plans to go out for coffee one night this week before shift." She admitted, blushing.

"Is any one else here winning the love lottery like Lindsay?" Asked Sara, looking over at Morgan.

Morgan caught Sara raising her eyebrows at her. "What? Me?" Sara nodded. "Nope, same old, same old. I'm rapidly becoming a spinster."

Sara frowned. "That's too bad. I was sure that you and Greg would have gotten together by now."

Mentally thanking the designers of the bar for the low lighting, Morgan couldn't help but blush. "No, we're just good friends."

"Poor Greg," Volunteered Lindsay. "Every once in a while I catch him giving you the cutest look when you're working. He's so smitten with you." Morgan's ears perked up with that and the alcohol in her second martini encouraged her to follow up on Lindsay's statement.

"Really?" She said, visibly perking up.

Lindsay laughed, "Really. I can't describe it. It's like a little half smile and he'll watch you work for a few seconds and then get back to work. The poor guy. Either ask him out or put him out of his misery. Would you ever go out on a date with him?" Lindsay ventured.

 _Yes!_ A little voice in her head screamed. She was saved momentarily from answering that, as the bartender delivered a third round of martinis. The four ladies, clinked their glasses together each took a sip.

"Well, Morgan?" Asked Sara, clearly not forgetting the question Lindsay asked before they were interrupted. "Greg's a great guy. I always thought there was something between you two. I thought you guys would have sorted it out by now."

Her cheeks were on fire now. Studying the martini glass carefully, Morgan avoided eye contact as she tried to figure out what to say. "I guess neither of us have ever asked the other one out." She said simply.

"Well one of you had better do it soon. Lindsay's right. The sexual tension in the lab is something else." Said Catherine, pointing her finger at Morgan. "You're no better than him. I see the glances you send his way when he's not looking."

Morgan blushed. _Was she that obvious?_ "I do not!" Morgan said finally, before finally thinking of a way to change the subject. She turned to Sara for her turn to be quizzed.

Four martinis and a drunk cab ride home later, Morgan found herself in the lobby of the hotel, searching the vending machines for cold water. Trying to ward off a hangover, she purchased two bottles and made her way to the elevators. She was just about to press the button when a drunk voice behind her called out, "Hello beautiful!"

Turning around, she found Hodges, Henry and Greg drunkenly weaving their way towards her. Her face lit up as she saw Greg beaming a drunken smile. The sharply dressed man of a few hours ago now looked rumpled, disheveled and very drunk.

"Good evening, my lady." Drawled Hodges arriving at the elevator. "How was your night?"

"Good. Not as good as yours though." She replied, laughing at the three drunk men in front of her.

"Yeah" Said Hodges, slurring his words slightly, "Seeing Nick again was great. His soon to be wife came by the bar for a bit too." Hodges said. "She brought her sister. Her sister is now in love with me."

Morgan gave Hodges a skeptical look. "Really?"

"No, seriously. She introduced herself to us and she took a real shine to me. She sat with the three of us for the entire hour she was there. She's like a brunette Scarlett Johanssen. " Hodges got a far away look in his eyes, no doubt conjuring up a memory of this beautiful woman. "Holly." He whispered.

"She really did sit with us!" Exclaimed Henry. "But, It was Greg that she was after. Holly's single and like six feet tall and could model!" Henry gave Greg a punch on the arm, sending him staggering into Hodges.

Hodges nudged Greg back. "It was totally me she was after." He retorted to Henry.

Morgan suddenly felt a little pit in her stomach. A six foot tall woman, with movie star good looks was after her Greg?

"We played a game." Stated Henry, changing the subject abruptly. "We got Greg so drunk."

"He's the best man. He can't be hung over tomorrow. What did you guys do to him?" Asked Morgan, concerned for Greg, still staring at her and swaying ever so slightly.

"Oh, it was a great game. Every guy there had a word he was not allowed to say. If he said that word, he had to down a shot of tequila. My word was beer. I only said it once." Henry puffed himself up, obviously proud of avoiding the shots.

Morgan laughed, "What was your word Hodges?"

"For what it's worth." He replied. Expectantly, Morgan waited. "No, that's what it was. Apparently I say that too much." He rolled his eyes and waved his hands in a dismissive manor.

"What was yours, Greg?" She asked, looking back over at him. He was no longer looking at her, but staring at the light fixture above the elevator.

Hodges and Henry burst out laughing at the question. "Morgan!" They cried in unison. Greg blushed.

"He got that drunk on Morgan?" She exclaimed, incredulous.

"Well, we egged him on a bit. He's very happy to talk about you when he gets drunk apparently." Henry smiled. The alcohol he'd consumed made him a little more comfortable talking to Morgan. Consequently, he also couldn't realize when he'd said too much.

As much as it excited Morgan that Greg seemed to like talking about her, she wasn't drunk enough to forget that Greg needed to be feeling at least half decent for the next day's festivities.

"Okay, Lets get Greg into bed and get him sleeping off the booze." Morgan pressed the button for the elevator and the four of them rode up the elevator. Hodges and Henry still talking a mile a minute.

"I had a great time tonight." Declared Greg to no one in particular as the elevator stopped at their floor and the four tumbled out.

"Here, have a bottle of water." Morgan twisted off the top and handed it to Greg.

"Thank you." He said sincerely, gazing down at her like she'd offered him a cherished toy.

Morgan couldn't help but laugh. Even drunk, Greg was still sweet. He took a drink and stumbled a bit as he started to walk. Still feeling the effects of her martinis, she boldly put her arm around Greg's waist and walked with him to his door.

Hodges and Henry, who were wandering down the hallway a couple of steps ahead of her, didn't notice. Morgan pulled away reluctantly as Greg reached into his wallet for his key.

"Why don't you guys go? I'll get Greg into bed." Morgan said as she waited patiently for Greg to figure out the right way to insert the key.

Instantly Henry and Hodges started to smirk and elbow each other. Morgan regretted opening her big mouth.

"I've got the room next door and I'll be 2 minutes. I'm going to give him some asprin and make sure he gets to bed. The two of you got him drunk. I don't trust you guys. He's got a big day tomorrow and it looks like you two bozos are just as drunk as he is." She defended herself.

"I'm not a bozo." Henry said quietly, frowning. "Holly liked me."

"She did not, Deena's sister fancied me." Hodges announced.

"Go to bed!" Morgan ordered, pointing down the long hallway.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Replied the two, finally heading for their rooms.

Meanwhile Greg had gotten the hotel room door open and was standing in the foyer, drinking the water.

Morgan came to the door frame and looked up at him, still handsome and still drunk. "I see you had a good night." She smiled softly as Greg smiled softly back.

"Yeah, I do miss hanging out with Nick. It was like the good old days." He said with a nostalgic tone.

"I miss him too. But it's time to go to bed. Are you going to be okay if I leave you now?"

Greg turned to smile at her. "I will be fine. Thanks for making sure I was okay." Morgan turned around to walk away. At the door, Greg called out her name as she stepped into the hallway. Morgan turned around slowly, a little worried that Greg was going to plant a drunken kiss on her. A drunken kiss was not what she wanted. She had no idea how he really felt, but a drunken hook up wouldn't solve that question. Greg gazed at her with soft eyes. He reached out and engulfed Morgan in a hug. "You're an amazing woman, Morgan Brody. That's the reason I couldn't stop talking about you tonight. I love everything about you, from your beautiful blond hair to the way you pick through dumpster muck. I love you. I just thought you should know." With that said, released her from the hug, gave her one last smile and shut his door.

Stunned, Morgan stared at the closed door. She did not expect that. Her heart fluttered as she replayed what he'd just said. Face flushed, unsure of whether or not to accept a drunken declaration of love as proof that he had real feelings for her, or just a leftover joke from the guys night out, Morgan let herself into her own hotel room and got ready for bed.

Very late the next morning, a rude buzzing noise interrupted Morgan from a deep sleep. Groaning, she reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her phone to shut off her alarm. Her head throbbed from the multiple martinis and she craved a coffee. Slowly rising from the bed, she headed for the shower in an attempt to clear her foggy head.

Down in the lobby, she found some of her fellow CSI's in the little coffee shop, each of them with a large coffee in front of them. Morgan grabbed her coffee and walked over to their table. Some were in better shape than others. Young Lindsay was eating a breakfast sandwich with gusto as Hodges stared at her.

"How can you eat something like that after a night of drinking?' He groaned, resting his head in his hands. Beside him, Henry replied grumpily. "She's half your age. Give her twenty years and she'll be like us." Henry looked up and noticed Morgan slowly make her way into room.

"Good morning Morgan!" He waved her over.

Morgan managed a painful smile, slipping into a seat beside Greg. He gave her an embarrassed smile and returned to his coffee. "You seem awfully chipper this morning, Henry. What's your secret?" she asked grumpily.

"He's in love." Replied Catherine. She as well, seemed unaffected by her multiple martinis. "I've heard all about this mysterious Holly. Although, Hodges is still swearing that she's after him."

"No, no." Denied Henry, "She wants Greg."

Morgan just barely refrained from rolling her eyes. She really did not want to hear any more about this beautiful and mysterious Holly.

"Where's Gil and Sara?"

"They were here about ten minutes ago. They are going for a five kilometer run." Replied Catherine rolling her eyes.

"Ugh." came a voice beside her.

"That's the first thing I've heard you say this morning. How are you feeling?" She asked, turning to get a good look at him. His hair was unkempt and messy, giving him a mischievous look. The scowl on his face, ruined that look.

"I've been better. I just need to get this coffee into me and have a shower." He said, unable to meet her eyes.

"That's good to hear. According to your so-called friends, you had a lot to drink." Greg still didn't look up. Morgan was wondering if he had remembered what he'd said as she made sure he was going to stay in for the night. Greg tipped his head back and drained the remaining coffee from his cup.

"Time to get ready." Greg mumbled, and abruptly left the table.

Morgan didn't see Greg again until she was seated in the small hotel conference room that had been tastefully decorated to host a wedding. As the wedding music began to play, she, along with everyone in the room turned to watch the small wedding party come down the aisle. Two little girls, around six acted as flower girls. Dressed in identical white dresses, with eggplant coloured sashes, they gleefully tossed purple rose petals onto the runner, soaking up the attention of the crowd.

When the two girls reached the front of the alter, Greg and Holly appeared in the doorway. Greg, impeccably dressed in a dark grey suit, with matching eggplant coloured accessories, smiled as he took his first steps down the aisle. My god, he looks good. Thought Morgan. She then looked at the woman on Greg's arm. Morgan's eyes narrowed as she got her first look at Holly. Sure enough, the men had not exaggerated Holly's beauty. Morgan watched with envy as Holly glided down the aisle, one arm linked through Greg's. When Holly and Greg were almost beside Henry, sitting next to the aisle, Holly gave Henry a small smile. To Morgan's surprise, Henry didn't blush, but raised his arm a little and gave a small smile back. _How about that?_ Thought Morgan. _Henry really did hit it off with Holly._ Smiling with relief, she returned to watch Greg reach the officiant and turn to face the guests.

Morgan found herself tearing up as the wedding progressed. Nick was grinning broadly at his new bride and she was crying tears of happiness as they said their vows. While the rest of the guests watched the wedding, Morgan watched Greg, standing in support of his friend. Her mind wandered, wondering what it would be like if she was up there, saying those words to him? She smiled wistfully at him as she continued to watch his handsome face, smiling at his friend.

Greg turned his attention to the guests, and found Morgan watching him with a soft smile on her face. He smiled back, noticing how beautiful she looked, with her blond curls framing her face.

Embarrassed she'd been caught staring, Morgan quickly smiled back and averted her eyes back to the two being married.

After Nick and Deena had officially become husband and wife, the wedding party mingled with the guests in the room for a bit. Morgan noticed Greg and Holly making their way to the group of CSI's in a corner, having a drink.

"It's safe to drink again?" chuckled Greg, coming over to Morgan.

Morgan raised her glass in a mock toast. Greg smirked and then turned his attention to Holly.

"Morgan, this is Holly, Deena's sister. " He said gesturing to Holly with a smile.

"Hi Morgan. I heard all about you last night. It's nice to finally meet you." Holly smiled and extended her hand. Beside her, Greg blushed and looked at the floor.

Morgan laughed. "I heard all about you last night as well. You made quite the impression on the three drunk men I saw last night."

Just then Henry came up to the three of them, with two glasses of champagne in his hand. "I thought you may want a drink." He said to Holly.

"Thanks Henry." Holly replied, returning Henry's smile. She reached for the glass Henry was holding for her. "Shall we go see if we can grab a quick bite before I'm needed for some photos? I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving!" Henry smiled and to Morgan's surprise, he put his arm around Holly's waist and led her away, leaving Morgan and Greg standing awkwardly together.

Greg shuffled his feet and took a deep breath, knowing he was had to say something about his drunken declaration of love. The memory was a bit fuzzy, but he remembered telling Morgan he loved her. At least he thought he did. Morgan didn't say much that morning, but he couldn't tell if she was hungover or embarrassed. He also knew he hadn't given her a chance to say anything. He'd practically ran from the table this morning.

"Hey," He said quietly, not quite meeting Morgan's gaze. "I just want to apologize if I said anything inappropriate last night."

Morgan took a step closer. Greg looked so embarrassed and Morgan couldn't help but feel bad for him. She laid her hand softly on his elbow. "Greg, I don't know what you think you said, but you didn't say anything I didn't already know." She leaned forward a little more and said even more softly. "But we can talk more about that later."

Greg looked up in surprise. She was so close to him, but still just far enough away. It reminded him of the time she gave him Frank Sinatra's record in the locker room at work. He could have sworn she was trying to tell him something back then too. Just then, he felt a hand slap his back. With a quick start, her turned around to find Nick, grinning wildly at the two of them.

"How's it going everyone?" He said loudly as the CSI's all came over to hug him and congratulate him. The team wished him well and made small talk for a few minutes before Nick collected Greg and went off for a few photos.

After a dinner of real Southern Barbecue, short but sweet speeches by the family and newlyweds, the lights dimmed, the music started and the married couple had their first dance as husband and wife. Morgan watched Nick gracefully lead his new wife around the dance floor, surprised how good of a dancer he was.

"Mind if I join you lovely ladies?" Whispered a voice behind her. Morgan jumped and turned around. Greg had come up from behind, placing one arm around her and the other arm around Lindsay, who was sitting beside Morgan. "Nick has officially released me from Best Man duties and told me to come sit with my lovely co-workers." Nick had actually told Greg to get over there and make a move on Morgan, but Greg thought he should keep that part to himself. A couple of glasses of wine during dinner had allowed him to relax about what he said to Morgan. She didn't seem to be too put off about it.

"Absolutely! Pull up a chair!" Joked Lindsay. She moved her chair away from Morgan, giving her a broad wink as Greg grabbed a chair from a neighboring table. He came back over, sitting between Morgan and Lindsay. The three of them conversed, enjoying the relaxed atmosphere. Every once in a while, Morgan noticed Greg's eyes turn towards her and meander down to her cleavage. Lindsay noticed one time and was barely able to suppress a snort of laughter. She quickly reached for a glass of wine to cover herself up. Draining the glass, Lindsay announced she was heading to the bar to grab some more booze.

Greg watched Lindsay make her way to the bar before turning his attention back to Morgan. "Have you seen the gardens outside yet?" He asked her. "We took some photos out there earlier. They are quite nice. Do you want to go see them?"

Morgan smiled. 'Yeah, It's a little stuffy here. I could use a little fresh air. Lets go."

Greg rose from his chair, extending his hand for her. Instead of letting go once she stood up, she held on to his hand as they walked through the doors of the wedding, through the hallway and outside.

Once outside, Morgan found herself walking through a beautifully landscaped garden with both small plants and trees on either side of a stone pathway. The trees were all decorated in tiny white lights.

"Are you having a good time?" Asked Greg.

"I am having a really good time." Morgan replied, aware that she and Greg were still holding hands.

Neither of them felt the need to say anything more as they walked slowly down the stone pathway. Either from the alcohol or emboldened from Greg's drunken admission, Morgan leaned into Greg as the walked, closing the gap between them. Her heart sped up as her body tingled with anticipation. She looked up at Greg wondering if he felt the same way as her. She was surprised to see he was looking down at her. He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close to him.

"Do you want to go see where we had some wedding photos taken?" he asked her.

She slipped her arm around his waist and replied. "I do."

He walked her further down the pathway. One of the branches off of the pathway lead to a small circular area of interlocking brick with a lush garden landscaped around the edges of the brick. Western redbud trees, complete with their bright magenta flowers provided a stunning background.

"Wow!" Breathed Morgan, coming to a stop at the entrance. "Nick and Deena's wedding photos are going to be stunning."

"Mmmm." Replied Greg, clearly not interested in wedding photos. He led her closer to the trees, the area provided a little more privacy than standing on the main path.

Instantly Morgan figured out why he wanted to take her here. He still had his arm around her shoulder and hers was around his waist. She glanced up at Greg, who had glided his hand downward to her lower back. There was no chance she was misreading his intentions.

"Morgan," He whispered, placing his other hand on her waist. Briefly, Morgan closed her eyes at his touch. She leaned closer, moving her arms up and joining them behind Greg's neck. Deciding not to let him speak, Morgan leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. She moved her head slightly away to gauge Greg's reaction. A slow smile spread over his face. Morgan couldn't help but smile in response.


End file.
